REPUBLICAN STATES SEND NATIONAL GUARD TO D.C. AMID FEDERAL CRACKDOWN
WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 17, 2025:West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio will send National Guard troops to D.C. at the request of the Trump administration. These deployments are part of a federal plan to deal with what President Trump calls a crime and homelessness emergency in D.C. This comes after Trump’s recent order that puts local police forces under federal control, and it’s getting slammed by D.C. officials and locals who say the city’s crime rates are super low.
The States’ Plans
The governors of three Republican states are sending troops to the federal initiative. They confirmed their support on Saturday, August 16, 2025. Over 600 troops are expected.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said he would be sending 300 to 400 National Guard members. His office said it was a show of commitment to public safety and that the state is happy to back President Trump in his effort to fix up our nation’s capital.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster authorized the sending of 200 National Guardsmen from his state. His office stated that the decision was due to a request from the Pentagon. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is sending 150 military police from the Guard to patrol and serve as extra security.
Trump’s Reasoning
The deployments come after President Trump’s order on Monday, August 11, 2025, which put D.C.’s police force under federal control and activated the D.C. National Guard. The president said these moves are needed because of an emergency and a supposed crisis of crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor in the capital.
A White House official said the troops are being called in to protect federal property, make things safe for law enforcement, and be a visible presence to stop crime. The administration has also ordered all homeless camps to be cleared by the end of the week. The federal government will pay for it.
D.C. Fights Back
These actions have been met with strong opposition from D.C. officials. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Brian Schwalb have disputed the administration’s crime claims, and they bring up Justice Department data that shows violent crime in the district was way down in 2024.
Attorney General Schwalb filed a lawsuit to stop the feds from taking over the city’s police, calling it a hostile takeover. While a judge didn’t make a direct ruling, the Trump administration and D.C. officials made a deal that keeps the city’s police chief, Pamela Smith, in charge, instead of someone appointed by the feds. The administration backed down a bit here.
Citizen Protests
The sight of National Guard troops in D.C. has led to protests from residents. Demonstrators marched from Dupont Circle to the White House on Saturday, August 16, holding signs that read, “No fascist takeover of D.C.” and “No military occupation.”
Protest organizers and participants said they’re worried about what they see as a presidential power grab and an effort to force the will of the federal government on a Democratic city by using crime as an excuse. D.C. has no voting representation in Congress, and its local laws can be overruled by the federal government, which makes it easier for this kind of stuff to happen.
Sending the National Guard to a U.S. city is something usually saved for natural disasters or riots. The Trump administration has done this before. In June 2025, the president sent troops to Los Angeles, California, against the wishes of the governor, during protests over immigration.
Critics, including a veteran’s group called the Chamberlain Network, stated their worries that these deployments are a political policing mission that takes the Guard away from its real job of protecting communities from disasters. The group pointed out that Hurricane Erin, a Category 5 storm, is headed toward the U.S. East Coast and could require Guard resources.
The situation is tense, with a lawsuit ongoing and protests happening. The presence of National Guard troops from other states adds another level to the conflict between local and federal power. The outcome of this situation could be a sign of things to come between the White House and other cities.
