National Guard Rolls Into D.C. as Trump Crime Crackdown Begins

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By    |   Tuesday, 12 August 2025 08:48 PM EDT ET

The National Guard began deploying in Washington, D.C., Tuesday night as part of President Donald Trump's sweeping federal initiative to combat crime, following his order to place the city's police under direct federal control.

Military vehicles and uniformed National Guard members gathered near the Washington Monument on Tuesday, marking the start of an intensified law enforcement push in the nation's capital. "HAPPENING NOW | Just steps away from the Washington Monument - members of the National Guard are gathered with several parked military vehicles," reporter Nana-Séntuo Bonsu posted on X.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced that 10 people were arrested in Washington as part of the first major operation supporting Trump's "Make DC Safe Again" initiative.

"On the first big push of [the] FBI supporting @POTUS @realDonaldTrump initiative to make DC safe again, [the] FBI reported 10 arrests with partners," Patel said on X. The arrests included one on a prior murder charge, multiple unlawful firearm possession cases, several outstanding DUI warrants and a violation of a restraining order.

"These are just a few examples — we are just getting started," Patel added, noting that federal partners and local police made 23 arrests in total. "When you let good cops be cops they can clean up our streets and do it fast. More to come. Your nation's Capital WILL be safe again."

According to the White House, about 800 National Guard members are expected to participate in the mission, with a small number mobilized by Tuesday afternoon and more joining in coming days.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said roughly 850 officers and agents surged into Washington on Monday night after Trump federalized the D.C. police department, The Washington Post reported.

The move came one day after Trump announced the mobilization of military forces and federalization of local law enforcement to address rising public safety concerns. The exact role of the National Guard is still developing, but D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser said she expects deployments to focus on federal properties, including parks, monuments, and government buildings.

"My expectation, though it can change, is that they will deploy the guard on federal properties — that includes parks, monuments, federal buildings," Bowser said in a community chat on X. "My expectation for the higher [crime] areas that you mentioned would be for where the federal surge [law enforcement] officers would go," The Washington Post reported.

Despite the heightened security measures, Bowser insisted the city is experiencing historic declines in violent crime. "Violent crime in DC is at its lowest level in 30 years. We had an unacceptable spike in 2023, so we changed our laws and strategies. Now, crime levels are not only down from 2023, but from before the pandemic. Our tactics are working, and we aren't taking our foot off the gas," she said on X on Tuesday.

Jim Thomas

Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.

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The National Guard began deploying in Washington, D.C., Tuesday night as part of President Donald Trump's sweeping federal initiative to combat crime, following his order to place the city's police under direct federal control.
national guard, washington d.c., police, donald trump, kash patel, crime, fbi
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Tuesday, 12 August 2025 08:48 PM
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