Hundreds more National Guard troops are expected to arrive in Washington, D.C., in the coming days, with at least four Republican-led states offering to send additional soldiers to join the 800 D.C. National Guard troops already activated by President Donald Trump, according to the states’ governors.
Troops from West Virginia have begun to arrive in the nation’s capital, according to a Sunday evening update from the task force overseeing Guard personnel in D.C. The total numbers are expected to grow to more than 1,700 in coming days as more troops arrive from Mississippi, Ohio and South Carolina.
During Monday’s Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the Russian war in Ukraine, Trump pivoted to the topic of crime in D.C. The president insisted that he turned the city around in just a few days and claimed Democratic friends called him to personally thank him.
MORE: Key takeaways from Trump and Zelenskyy’s Oval Office meeting to discuss Ukraine
The president did not offer evidence that crime incidents had fallen, with many of the troops ordered into the city remaining unarmed and located near tourist areas already heavily patrolled by law enforcement.
Troops could be seen over the weekend positioned around the mostly quiet city, standing near armored Humvees and posing for pictures with tourists. In one instance, a member of the National Guard helped a U.S. Park Police officer who had been assaulted while directing traffic, according to the National Guard, which did not provide further details.
Officials said Guard personnel are not arresting people, only helping to detain individuals briefly if necessary before handing them off to law enforcement. Under the law, troops are allowed to protect federal property and personnel. They also can defend themselves, but must leave law enforcement duties to the local police.
Guard personnel deployed in Washington are currently unarmed, although officials say they expect that to change as more troops arrive.
MORE: National Guard troops have begun 24-hour operations in DC: Official
Mississippi on Monday became the latest Republican-led state to call up Guard troops and send them to D.C. Gov. Tate Reeves said he planned to send 200 Guard soldiers.
“Crime is out of control there, and it’s clear something must be done to combat it,” Reeves said in a release. “Americans deserve a safe capital city that we can all be proud of. I know the brave men and women of our National Guard will do an excellent job enhancing public safety and supporting law enforcement.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement he’s been asked to send 150 military police from the Ohio National Guard and that they should arrive in the coming days.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said in a statement he’s sending 200 Guard personnel.
The Pentagon has not responded to a request for comment or said whether it’s requested additional personnel from other states.
Washington, D.C., saw 137 arrests over the weekend, Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in an X post on Monday morning. Aside from highlighting 21 illegal firearm seizures, Bondi didn’t specify the kinds of crimes the arrests were related to, nor did she specify who made the arrests.
FBI Director Kash Patel noted in a separate X post that FBI agents were involved in 29 arrests as of Sunday night, with charges including DUI, drug offenses, assault, destruction of property and others.
Bondi is ultimately in charge of the military operation in D.C. as well as the takeover of local police as part of an extraordinary reach in federal power for a city that struggles with crime but is not in the throes of a crisis such as Jan. 6, 2021, riots or a large-scale event such as an inauguration.
MORE: As Guard deploys, Trump to seek ‘long-term’ federal control of DC police
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday criticized the Trump administration’s federal police surge in the nation’s capital, calling it politically motivated and disconnected from crime in the city.
“This doesn’t make sense. The numbers on the ground and the district don’t support 1,000 people from other states coming to Washington, D.C.,” Bowser said.
Violent crime levels have decreased compared to years prior, down 26% since 2024, a 30-year low, according to crime stats released by the city’s Metropolitan Police Department.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., on Sunday underlined his stance that Trump deploying the Guard to over concerns of high crime and the level of homelessness amounts to an “abuse of power.”
“It’s a manufactured emergency,” Van Hollen said in an interview with “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz. “Obviously D.C. can do more to reduce violent crime, as we can across the country. But as you pointed out, crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low and a downward trajectory. So, this is all an opportunity for Donald Trump to play dictator in Washington, D.C.”
ABC News’ Anne Flaherty, Kendall Wright, Hannah Demisse and Benjamin Siu contributed to this report.
