PRESIDENT Donald Trump is set to send up to 1,000 National Guard troops to Washington, DC, aiming to address rising concerns about crime and homelessness, according to reports.
The president will hold a press conference at 10:00 am and is expected to reveal measures aimed at tightening federal control over the capital.
This decision trails a recent increase in federal law enforcement presence across the city, which has already met resistance from DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Trump pledged to transform the district into a place that is “safer and more beautiful than it ever was before,” drawing parallels to his strict border security measures.
A US official told NewsNation overnight that preparations were underway for the possible arrival of hundreds of National Guard troops.
A spokesperson for the DC National Guard stressed that no official orders had been given.
“We remain committed to providing trained and ready forces capable of providing support when called upon,” the spokesperson said.
On Sunday, Trump criticized the current state of the capital on social media, stating that “before the tents, squalor, filth, and Crime, it was the most beautiful Capital in the World.”
Federal agencies have already ramped up their presence, with 450 officers patrolling tourist areas by Saturday night.
Those patrols led to multiple arrests, including suspects accused of carrying firearms without a license.
DC police data shows violent crime has actually dropped 26% compared to the same period last year.
Bowser argued the drop is due to community policing, cooperation with prosecutors, and targeted efforts since a spike in 2023.
“This is not 2023, this is 2025,” Bowser said on MSNBC, calling Trump’s expanded enforcement “not the most efficient use of our Guard.”
She suggested the focus should instead be on hiring prosecutors and judges and improving the city jail.
Mayor Bowser acknowledged Trump’s authority to deploy the Guard but asserted that none of the necessary legal conditions for federal intervention currently exist.
Her statement follows Trump’s threat to “federalize” the city after an incident involving former Department of Government Efficiency staffer Edward Coristine, known as “Big Balls,” during an attempted carjacking.
Two 15-year-olds were arrested in that case, with police searching for more suspects.
“We’re going to have to federalize DC and run it the way it’s supposed to be run,” Trump said on Truth Social last week.
He told reporters he would not rule out quickly bringing in the National Guard.
Trump has also floated the idea of stripping DC of its home rule, which has been in place since 1973, a move that would require congressional approval and likely face major opposition.
Bowser said the president can take greater control of the city’s police under certain circumstances, but insisted those conditions have not been met.
On Monday morning, President Trump declared it “liberation day in DC” on Truth Social.
“Washington, DC will be LIBERATED today! Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR,” he wrote in a follow-up message.
The remarks come months after Trump signed a March executive order aimed at making the capital “safe and beautiful,” creating a task force to coordinate with local officials and boost the federal law enforcement presence.
