National Guard expected to start arriving in Washington, DC this week: Pentagon

The Defense Department on Monday confirmed that approximately 800 National Guard troops will begin arriving in Washington, D.C. in the upcoming week in order to supply logistical, administrative and physical support to local law enforcement.

President Donald Trump announced he would crack down on crime in the capital city by deploying the National Guard. The president also said Attorney General Pam Bondi will assume control of the local police department.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to oversee the deployment and said 100-200 guard members will be active in the city at any point in time. It is not clear how long the troops will be stationed in Washington.

"We will work alongside all D.C. police and federal law enforcement to ensure this city is safe [and] this city is beautiful," Hegseth said in a statement. "As I always say about President Trump to the troops, 'He has their back.' And my message to the National Guard and federal law enforcement in Washington is, 'We have your back as well. Be tough. Be strong. We're right behind you.'" 

Hegseth added that other National Guard units are ready to be deployed if called upon. The troops will be under a Title 32 status, meaning they are under local authority but are still federally funded, CNN reported.

Washington, D.C. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser said she has asked all federal law enforcement in the city to wear identifiable clothing to avoid confusion.

The move comes after Trump sent National Guard troops to Los Angeles earlier this year to help quell unrest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. 

Trump also teased using federal power to enforce a crackdown on crime in other major American cities should their governments fail to address the situation. Trump cannot take over other cities' police departments but can activate the National Guard.

"You look at Chicago, how bad it is, you look at Los Angeles, how bad it is. We have other cities that are very bad," he said. "New York has a problem. And then you have, of course, Baltimore and Oakland. We don't even mention that anymore. They're so far gone. We're not going to let it happen. We're not going to lose our cities over this."

"And this will go further. We're starting very strongly with D.C., and we're going to clean it up real quick," he added.

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