National Guard mission swells as 2,000 troops get orders to DC
National Guard troops from six states have been activated to support federal law enforcement in the capital.
Nicholas Slayton, Patty Nieberg
Aug 19, 2025 10:14 AM EDT
US President Donald Trump on August 11 deployed military and federal law enforcement to curb violent crime in Washington, as he seeks to make good on his campaign pledge to be a "law and order" president. The Republican leader said he would place the city's Metropolitan Police under federal government control while also sending the National Guard onto the streets of the US capital.
On Monday, the governors of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee announced they would send hundreds of troops to Washington, D.C. The move comes after Ohio, South Carolin, and West Virginia made similar announcements over the weekend. More than 1,000 outside troops are en route to join the deployment, under the authority of Joint Task Force – District of Columbia. They join — as of Monday evening — the 896 District of Columbia National Guard soldiers and airmen activated as part of President Donald Trump’s show of force inside the city.
Over the weekend, West Virginia was the first to announce it would send service members, pledging 350, per JTF-DC. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said he would send 200, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced 150 would go. On Monday, Mississippi pledged 200 National Guardsmen, Louisiana announced 135 would deploy, and Tennessee said that 160 would go “to assist with monument security, community safety patrols, protecting federal facilities, and traffic control,” per a statement from the office of Gov. Bill Lee.
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