Trump To Patrol Washington Streets With Troops

President Donald Trump said he plans to patrol Washington’s streets on Thursday with troops he deployed to the US capital in a show of force against what he claims is a “crime emergency.”

Trump ordered hundreds of National Guard to deploy in Washington last week vowing to “take our capital back,” despite protests by some residents and statistics showing violent offenses falling.

“I’m going to be going out tonight I think with the police and with the military of course… We’re going to be doing a job,” the Republican told Todd Starnes, a host for right-wing media outlet Newsmax.

He spoke one day after his vice president, JD Vance, was greeted by boos and shouts of “Free DC” — referring to the District of Columbia — on his own meet-and-greet with troops deployed in the city.

The DC National Guard has mobilized 800 troops for the mission, while Republican states Ohio, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia are sending a total of around 1,200 more.

Reports suggest that while the President thanked law enforcement and National Guard members at a command center in Southeast D.C., he did not, in fact, join the troops on patrol, returning to the White House instead. 

The President's actions have been met with mixed reactions. While he asserts that the deployment of federal agents and National Guard troops is necessary to address a crime wave, local officials dispute the characterization of the city as grappling with rampant violent crime, pointing to statistics that show a decline in violent crime since 2023. 

The deployment has also sparked protests and criticism from some residents and Democrats, who view it as a political stunt and an overreach of federal power.