President Donald Trump is reportedly considering deploying up to 1,000 National Guard troops to Washington DC, in a decisive move to tackle down the rising tide of crime in the capital city.
According to one defense official and two U.S. officials who spoke on Sunday night, Trump may announce as early as Monday that up to 1,000 National Guard troops will be deployed to the nation’s capital.
While the exact number of troops has not yet been finalized, officials say most would likely be drawn from the D.C. National Guard. The plan remains under review, and no formal orders have been signed.
A White House official, speaking to NBC News, reiterated that the administration would not “get ahead of the President” on any formal announcement. However, the official emphasized that Trump has been crystal clear: “All options are on the table when it comes to making D.C. safe again.”
The potential deployment comes just one day after Trump took to Truth Social to hint that a major announcement on combating crime in D.C. would be made Monday.
In his post, Trump didn’t hold back, calling the city “one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world” — a sharp indictment of current local leadership. He vowed it would “soon be one of the safest” under his administration’s plan.
Last week, Trump threatened to take federal control of D.C. following a high-profile incident in which Edward Coristine — known by the nickname “Big Balls” and a former employee of the Department of Government Efficiency — was violently attacked during an attempted carjacking. The brazen assault underscored the lawlessness Trump and his supporters say has plagued the city for years.
“We’re going to have to federalize D.C. and run it the way it’s supposed to be run,” Trump declared on Truth Social last Tuesday night. Speaking with reporters the following day, he doubled down: “The rate of crime, the rate of muggings, killings, and everything else — we’re not going to let it continue. That includes bringing in the National Guard, maybe very quickly.”
Despite rising concerns from residents and federal officials, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser pushed back against the narrative of a worsening crime wave. Speaking to MSNBC’s The Weekend on Sunday, Bowser claimed, “We are not experiencing a crime spike,” framing the situation as exaggerated.
Bowser said she has spoken with Trump multiple times in recent months about public safety, including in their first meeting after his re-election. She acknowledged that Trump has already established a federal task force to assist the Metropolitan Police Department, with local agencies providing information and support.
“It is always the President’s prerogative to use federal law enforcement or the National Guard,” Bowser admitted. However, she predicted that Monday’s announcement would likely involve an increased surge of federal law enforcement officers rather than an immediate full-scale deployment of troops.
Bowser suggested the administration may expand patrols in local neighborhoods, extend their time in the city, and strengthen coordination between federal agents, local police, and prosecutors. “Officers need to know our laws, work in the community, and work with prosecutors to build good cases,” she said.
The President has broad authority to intervene in D.C. security matters, given that the District is not a state. Under current law, Trump could activate the D.C. National Guard without the mayor’s approval. He could also assume direct control over the Metropolitan Police Department, though a full “federalization” of the city’s government — as Trump has hinted — would require Congress to repeal the 1973 Home Rule Act.
Critics of Bowser’s administration argue that D.C.’s local leadership has failed to address persistent violent crime, especially carjackings and homicides. Federal officials point to alarming statistics and high-profile incidents as proof that stronger measures are needed.
Supporters of Trump’s plan see the potential deployment of the National Guard as a necessary show of force — not only to curb crime but also to send a message that law and order will be restored, no matter how politically controversial the move may be.
Whether the final decision involves a full 1,000-troop National Guard deployment or a phased law enforcement surge, the message from the White House is unmistakable: Washington, D.C., will not be left to drift into further disorder.
“This is our capital,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It will be safe again — very soon.”