Units of the US National Guard have begun arriving in Washington to carry out a special order from President Donald Trump aimed at stepping up the fight against crime in the capital.
According to the order, the deployment will end when the president determines that “law and order in the District of Columbia have been restored.” However, the troops have been told to remain in the city until September 25. A total of about 800 National Guard troops will participate in the operation.
On Tuesday evening, five military vehicles and about ten National Guard troops were spotted near the Washington Monument. They were nearby but did not communicate with a journalist who asked about their mission.
Trump announced the deployment of the National Guard to the capital on August 11 at a press conference at the White House.
Since the District of Columbia is not a state, the consent of local authorities is not required for such measures. The president specified that the city police would now report directly to the attorney general and the head of the Justice Department, Pam Bondi, and that its officers would be allowed to “do whatever they deem necessary” to repel provocations.
“This is the only language criminals understand. They love to challenge the police — we respond with a powerful blow,” Trump said.
National Guard as an attempt to divert attention
Some politicians and experts believe that the deployment of the National Guard is an attempt to divert attention from the scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat who usually avoids open conflict with the president, also refrained from making any harsh statements this time. She called Trump’s actions “disturbing and unprecedented,” promised to run the city “in a way that makes residents proud,” and requested a meeting with Pam Bondi, who now controls the capital’s police force.
This is not the first time Trump has used the National Guard to restore order. In June, he sent it to Los Angeles amid protests against anti-immigrant raids, accusing local authorities of inaction and mentioning the city’s mayor, Karen Bass, and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
