Editor’s Note (Aug. 18, 2025, 3:45 p.m. ET): Mississippi’s governor said he will deploy about 200 soldiers. Go here for updates.
National Guard troops from four states are headed to D.C. to aid in President Donald Trump’s effort to crack down on crime and homelessness.
At least 850 Guard troops are expected, all from Republican-led states. West Virginia said it will deploy 300 to 400 Guard troops, South Carolina pledged 200 and Ohio said it will send 150 in the coming days, marking a significant escalation of the federal intervention. Members of the West Virginia National Guard began to arrive at the D.C. Armory, NBC News reported overnight.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday he approved the deployment of about 200 soldiers.
The total number of troops will more than double, after Trump activated about 800 D.C. National Guard members last week, in a historic federalization of the city.
With National Guard troops and military vehicles outside D.C.’s Union Station on Sunday, some residents questioned the need for them.
“They’re just standing around. It’s not like they’re protecting anything,” resident Makayla Jordan said.
“I don’t want our city to become a police state. I just think it’s wrong,” said Elizabeth Toperzer, who works in D.C.
“We should be focusing on protecting people who need protecting, and I feel like we should be using this energy towards something else that will be more impactful,” resident Sia Li Wright said.
“I don’t think there should be any kind of accelerated military presence in D.C. at all. They weren’t here for Jan. 6, so why now?” protester Clay Harris asked.
Some people went to Union Station not to protest the Guard presence but to take photos and shake hands with them.
“This is the first time they got to look in a military Humvee – just little stuff they never experienced before,” one man said.
He declined to give his name but said he mentors young people in D.C. and will educate them about the federal takeover of D.C. police.
“With the youth being a scapegoat, and they say they’re coming here to clean the city, they going to be the ones that’s targeted a lot,” he said.
Other D.C. residents told News4 they welcome the additional law enforcement.
“I think it’s a good thing, because, you know what I’m saying, it’s better for the community and it’s safer for the kids. Stop the violence, you know what I’m saying. Hugs not slugs,” Antwain Baum said.
Some Guard troops will be armed, NBC News reported. That’s a change from the policy just a few days earlier, when the Army said Guard members will not carry weapons.
In a post to X on Saturday, Mayor Muriel Bowser said, “American soldiers and airmen policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican.”
What 3 Republican governors said about sending troops to DC
The Republican governors of the three states said they were sending hundreds of troops at the request of the Trump administration.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said he directed 300 to 400 Guard troops to head to D.C, adding that the state “is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation’s capital.”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said he authorized the deployment of 200 of his state’s National Guardsmen to help law enforcement in Washington at the Pentagon’s request. He noted that if a hurricane or other natural disaster strikes, they would be recalled.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he would send 150 military police from the Guard to “carry out presence patrols and serve as added security” and that they were expected to arrive in the coming days. His statement said Army Secretary Dan Driscoll requested the troops.
News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
from Local – NBC4 Washington https://ift.tt/MYRWjeb
0 Comments