National Guard troops were spotted in Washington, D.C., as President Donald Trump’s administration moves forward with a sweeping federal crackdown on crime in the nation’s capital.
Troops started arriving in D.C. on Tuesday.
The deployment follows Trump’s decision Monday to invoke the District of Columbia’s Home Rule Act.
The move allows the president to place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control for up to 30 days.
The troop deployment is part of an aggressive plan to restore order in the city amid surging violent crime.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser met Tuesday with federal officials to coordinate strategy.
“What I’m focused on is the federal surge and how to make the most of the additional officer support that we have,” the Democrat mayor told reporters, according to FOX D.C.
“We have the best in the business in MPD Chief Pamela Smith to lead that effort and to make sure that the men and women who are coming from federal law enforcement are being well-used and that if there’s National Guard here they’re being well-used.”
Witnesses reported seeing Guard troops leaving the D.C. Armory Tuesday morning, with military vehicles stationed along city streets.
Officials have not confirmed the total number of troops deployed or their specific operational roles.
On the first day of the federal operation, joint teams of local and federal authorities arrested 23 suspects wanted for murder, gun offenses, and other serious crimes.
Six illegal firearms were also seized.
“These are just a few examples — we are just getting started,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X.
“When you let good cops be cops, they can clean up our streets and do it fast.
“More to come,” the FBI chief revealed.
“Your nation’s Capital WILL be safe again.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the arrests included charges for homicide, weapons violations, lewd acts, and stalking.
She emphasized that the crackdown is only beginning.
Bowser acknowledged that Trump’s authority under the Home Rule Act left her administration with no choice but to comply and adapt to the new federal-led command structure.
The troop presence marks another high-profile example of the Trump administration’s commitment to using federal resources, including military support, to restore safety and order in crime-plagued cities.
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