The National Guard Comes (Back) to DC

National Guard troops have been activated in Washington, DC, the Metropolitan Police Department are being placed under federal control, and a state of emergency has been declared, President Donald Trump announced today.

The activation of the National Guard, who were last deployed in DC during the Jan. 6th, 2021, insurrection, has been billed by the president as an effort to reduce violent crime in the city. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote “the Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” and, “Be prepared! There will be no more “MR. NICE GUY.”

Though the rate of people experiencing homelessness is increasing nationally, violent crime in DC is at a 30 year low. Neither homelessness nor violent crime, however, warrant a military force occupying the city via the broad use of presidential powers.

Social media users on the District of Columbia Reddit forum have reported sightings of Federal police forces throughout the weekend. One user spotted Border Patrol police in Chinatown on Saturday night.