District of Columbia National Guard soldiers walk along the National Mall in Washington on Aug. 18, 2025. (Nina Cortez/U.S. Army)
WASHINGTON — Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana on Monday became the latest states to deploy National Guard troops to the nation’s capital as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to combat crime in the city.
“Crime is out of control there, and it’s clear something must be done to combat it. Americans deserve a safe capital city that we can all be proud of,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves posted on X. “I know the brave men and women of our National Guard will do an excellent job enhancing public safety and supporting law enforcement.”
Mississippi pledged to send about 200 Guard troops and another 135 will come from Louisiana. About 160 Tennessee Guard troops will depart this week and “are ready to assist as long as needed,” according to state officials.
Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana join three other states that pledged to deploy troops after Trump last week ordered 800 D.C. National Guard members to help crack down on crime. The federal government also took control of the Metropolitan Police Department.
West Virginia said it was deploying 300 to 400 troops. Members of the West Virginia Guard began arriving in Washington on Sunday, said Maj. Micah Maxwell, spokesman for Joint Task Force- District of Columbia. South Carolina also pledged 200 troops, and Ohio said it will send 150 in the coming days.
Soldiers with the District of Columbia National Guard stand watch during the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 16, 2025. Guard members are positioned at key locations throughout the city to provide a visible security presence alongside law enforcement partners. (Aaron Troutman/U.S. Army)
National Guard troops assigned to Washington are not armed, defense officials said last week, with one official adding they also did not have weapons in their vehicles.
But a White House official said Monday on the condition of anonymity that “they may be armed, consistent with their mission and training.”
The National Guard began 24-hour operations Thursday. Troops have been seen outside Union Station and around the National Mall. The Pentagon in a news release highlighted the actions of D.C. Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Hector Amaya, who helped stop the assault of a police officer directing traffic.
“The Park Police officer asked for our help, and I was the first one to catch up, and was able to detain him … and turn him over,” Amaya said of his actions Saturday.
D.C. police data indicates violent crime has decreased 26% compared with last year. The D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office also announced in January that violent crime in the city in 2024 was at a 30-year low, citing police data.
Trump said Monday in a post on Truth Social that Washington officials “gave fake crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety.”
“Until 4 days ago, Washington, D.C., was the most unsafe ‘city’ in the United States,” the president said. “Now, in just a short period of time, it is perhaps the safest, and getting better every single hour! People are flocking to D.C. again, and soon, the beautification will begin!”
