Trump Preparing To Surge Troops To Washington, DC, To Fight Local Crime
The United States military is reportedly ready to send hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, DC, as part of President Trump’s extensive federal initiative against crime in the nation’s capital.
Although Trump has not yet reached a final decision regarding the activation of federal soldiers, the National Guard stands prepared for deployment, as stated by two US officials familiar with the operation.
This readiness coincides with the deployment of 120 FBI agents from various regions across the country, who have already commenced patrolling the streets of DC overnight and assisting local law enforcement in areas prone to carjackings, despite many lacking local patrol training, according to the Washington Post.
“Be prepared! There will be no ‘MR. NICE GUY.’ We want our Capital BACK,” Trump expressed in a post on Sunday on Truth Social, ahead of a scheduled White House press conference on Monday morning concerning the city’s cleanliness and overall condition.
This likely directive follows Trump’s executive order from March 28 titled “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful,” which established a task force aimed at combating crime and reducing illegal immigration within the city.
“The Homeless must vacate immediately. We will provide you with accommodations, but they will be located far from the Capital. As for the Criminals, you need not leave. We are going to incarcerate you where you belong,” Trump stated in the social media post, likening the initiative to his crackdown on illegal immigration at the border.
“The Mayor of D.C., Muriel Bowser, is a good person who has made efforts, but she has been afforded numerous opportunities, and the crime statistics continue to worsen, while the city becomes increasingly dirty and less appealing,” Trump remarked in a separate post on Sunday.
In response, Bowser has contested Trump’s portrayal of the city.
“If the objective is to demonstrate force in an American city, we are aware that he can accomplish that here,” Bowser stated on MSNBC Sunday morning. “However, it will not be due to a surge in crime.
Violent crime has decreased by 26% compared to this time in 2024, as reported by DC police data, and there have been approximately 20% fewer juvenile arrests this year, according to the Washington Post.
Nevertheless, the White House remains firm, asserting that the city has been “plagued by petty and violent crime for far too long,” as stated by press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
In conjunction with a federal operation launched on Thursday by the Trump administration aimed at cleaning up the nation’s capital, US Park Police apprehended more than half a dozen suspects in the city on charges including possession of stolen firearms and illegal substances.
During this operation, eight individuals were detained, and two weapons were seized from offenders with prior felony convictions, as reported by Park Police Fraternal Order of Police head Kenneth Spencer to The Post on Friday.
Additionally, at least 30 “fraudulent oxycodone pills” that resembled fentanyl were recovered, along with 210 grams of crack cocaine, 600 grams of marijuana, 64 grams of hashish oil, and cash totaling $3,600, according to Spencer.
DC police indicated that the display of force was partly prompted by the assault of a 19-year-old former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff member who was attacked by a group of ten youths last Sunday while trying to prevent a carjacking in the nation’s capital.
Edward Coristine, whose LinkedIn username earned him the moniker “Big Balls” at DOGE, was with a woman near downtown DC when he observed a group of juveniles approach their vehicle and “make a comment about taking the vehicle.”
Trump and Coristine’s previous employer, Elon Musk, shared an image depicting the consequences of the attack on Coristine early Tuesday afternoon. The photo shows the former DOGE employee lying on the ground, bloodied, with his torn shirt barely clinging to his body.
Critics and members of the public have denounced Trump’s extensive crackdown and removal of the homeless as inhumane.
“Those funds could be more effectively utilized to provide individuals with housing and support,” stated Jesse Rabinowitz, campaign and communications director at the National Homelessness Law Center, in an interview with the Washington Post.