AG Bondi touts 'productive meeting' with DC Mayor Bowser in wake of National Guard deployment

National Guard troops started arriving Tuesday at the D.C. Armory to report for duty, according to NBC News. Approximately 800 are expected to arrive in the nation's capital this week.

By Misty Severi

Published: August 12, 2025 10:41pm

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Washington, D.C.'s Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser on Tuesday held a "productive meeting" on President Donald Trump's activation of the D.C. National Guard to help cut down on crime in the city.

Trump ordered the guard to be deployed in Washington, D.C. this week to provide logistical, administrative and physical support to local law enforcement. He also took over the Metropolitan Police Department, which Bondi now oversees.

Bowser requested the meeting on Monday after Trump's directive in order to coordinate federal and local law enforcement as the city continues to suffer from high crime rates. The city's homicide rate in 2024 was one of the highest in the country.

"What I’m focused on is the federal surge and how to make the most of the additional officer support that we have," Bowser told reporters after the meeting. "We have the best in the business with [Metropolitan Police 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."

Bondi said the meeting, which also included other senior Trump administration officials, was "productive" and that both the city and federal government are united in keeping people safe.

"I just concluded a productive meeting with DC Mayor Bowser at the Department of Justice," Bondi posted to X. "We agreed that there is nothing more important than keeping residents and tourists in Washington, D.C. safe from deadly crime.

"At President Trump’s direction, the Justice Department will work closely with D.C. city government and D.C. Police to make Washington, D.C. safe again."

National Guard troops started arriving Tuesday at the D.C. Armory to report for duty, according to NBC News. Approximately 800 are expected to arrive in the nation's capital this week. It is not clear how long the troops will be in the capital, but only 100-200 guard members will be active in the city at any point in time.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.