President Donald Trump is promising new steps to tackle homelessness and crime in Washington, prompting the city's mayor to voice concerns about the potential use of up to 1,000 National Guard troops to patrol the streets in the nation's capital.
Trump's planned moves involve at least 500 federal law enforcement officials, raising fundamental questions about how an increasingly emboldened federal government will interact with its state and local counterparts.
NBC Washington reported Trump was considering deploying up to 1,000 National Guard troops to D.C., one defense official and two U.S. officials confirmed Sunday night.
About 500 federal law enforcement officers are being tasked with deploying throughout the nation's capital as part of the Trump administration’s effort to combat crime, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Monday.
More than 100 FBI agents and about 40 agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are among federal law enforcement personnel being assigned to patrols in Washington, the person briefed on the plans said. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Marshals Service are also contributing officers.
One of the officials said it was unclear what exactly the National Guard troops would do, but could take part in efforts to protect federal agents or even carry out administrative tasks to free up law enforcement officials.
The move comes as Trump escalated his rhetoric about a potential federal takeover of the nation's capital, vowing to "clear out" homeless encampments and crack down on lawlessness.
Agents from the FBI's Washington Field Office — as well as some brought in from cities like Philadelphia — are being assigned to assist local and federal law enforcement on D.C. streets for at least a week, the Post reported.
Many of the agents typically work in counterintelligence, public corruption, and other specialized divisions, and have limited experience in traffic stops or street patrols. The assignments have sparked frustration inside the bureau, sources told the Post, with some agents feeling they lack training for the work and are being diverted from their primary missions.
Trump compared the push to his first-term border crackdown, warning in a Truth Social post: "Be prepared! There will be no 'MR. NICE GUY.' We want our Capital BACK."
He has tied the effort to quality-of-life initiatives under his "D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force," which also targets graffiti and homeless encampments.
Democrat Mayor Muriel Bowser questioned the effectiveness of using the Guard to enforce city laws and said the federal government could be far more helpful by funding more prosecutors or filling the 15 vacancies on the D.C. Superior Court, some of which have been open for years.
Bowser cannot activate the National Guard herself, but she can submit a request to the Pentagon.
"I just think that’s not the most efficient use of our Guard," she said Sunday on MSNBC's "The Weekend," acknowledging it is "the president’s call about how to deploy the Guard."
Bowser has pushed back against Trump's portrayal of the city, noting violent crime is down 26% from last year, homicides are down 12%, and juvenile arrests have fallen 20%.
"If the priority is to show force in an American city, we know he can do that here," she told MSNBC.
Despite the drop in crime, Trump has threatened to assume control of the city's police if improvements are not made quickly. A White House news conference on D.C. crime, cleanliness, and physical renovation is scheduled for Monday at 10 a.m. ET.
Reuters, The Associated Press and Newsmax's Eric Mack contributed to this report.
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