According to a U.S. official speaking with Fox News, National Guard troops stationed in Washington, D.C., are anticipated to remain in the capital until the year’s end.
A White House representative emphasized President Donald Trump’s commitment to utilizing all available resources to ensure the security of Washington, D.C., including the deployment of National Guard forces as necessary.
Currently, 2,429 National Guard troops are involved in this ongoing mission. Among them, 712 belong to the D.C. National Guard, while the remaining 1,717 are drawn from 11 different states across the country.
A memo from Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, dated Wednesday, highlighted that “the conditions of the mission” justify extending the deployment beyond February to aid in President Trump’s “ongoing efforts to restore law and order,” as reported by The Associated Press.
On January 8, 2026, National Guard members assembled as the body of Metropolitan Police Department officer Terry Bennett was transported past the Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
In an article published last November, the National Guard noted that “signs of renewal are taking shape” through the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission, which is a collaborative effort among federal, local, and military entities aimed at enhancing public safety and revitalizing the city’s iconic areas.
“Launched in August 2025, the initiative brings together multiple agencies, including the Department of the Interior, the Department of Homeland Security and the District of Columbia National Guard, under a shared goal of protecting, preserving and presenting the nation’s capital as a safe, clean and welcoming environment for all,” the article added.
National Guard members patrol the Washington Mall, with the Washington Monument in the background, on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Rahmat Gul/AP)
The U.S. Marshals Service previously said that, “as of December 31, the Operation Make D.C. Safe & Beautiful Task Force has arrested more than 8,152 violent fugitives, including 20 for homicide, 1,343 for narcotics, 633 for weapons offenses, 29 for sex offenses, and 48 known gang members.”
“As a result of the surge to date, there have been 8,406 arrests and 856 guns that have been taken off the street, which prevents them from being used in a homicide or an assault with a deadly weapon, or any other kind of crime,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said earlier this month.
National Guard are seen on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol, on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Rahmat Gul/AP)
The National Guard’s deployment in the nation’s capital made headlines last November after two members were shot allegedly by an Afghan national. One of those National Guard members, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, later died at a hospital.
