Updated Aug 13, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Scenes from D.C. as National Guard joins Trump's law enforcement crackdown

Rebecca Falconer

Line of tan military Humvees parked on a road near the Washington Monument under a blue sky with scattered clouds in Washington, D.C. — Military vehicles with the Washington, D.C., National Guard park near the Washington Monument on Aug. 12. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Trump deployed National Guard troops to D.C. on Tuesday as part of a "massive law enforcement surge" in the U.S. capital, per the White House.

The big picture: After Trump activated about 800 National Guard soldiers and sent some 850 officers and agents to D.C., residents protested on the streets and took to social media to counter his claims about violent crime, which they note has fallen in the city.

People standing near a military Humvee on a street at dusk with the Washington Monument in the background. — Onlookers take photos of an armored vehicle near the Washington Monument on Aug. 12. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser had previously opted for diplomacy and cooperation over heated confrontation, but on Aug. 12 she described the troop deployment as an "authoritarian push." Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Five soldiers in camouflage uniforms and boots walking away on a crosswalk towards a large building with trees and lampposts around. — National Guard members at the D.C. Armory on Aug. 12. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who's now in charge of D.C. police, said on X she'd had "a productive meeting" with Bowser and they "agreed that there is nothing more important than keeping residents and tourists in Washington, D.C. safe from deadly crime." Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

A soldier in camouflage uniform carrying a large green duffel bag walks on a sidewalk near steps with plants, while a white police SUV with red and blue stripes is parked nearby. — National Guard troops are being deployed "as part of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, with about 100-200 of them supporting law enforcement," per a Defense Department statement. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

A group of U.S. Air Force personnel in camouflage uniforms and black berets walk on a sidewalk near parked cars and a building in daylight. — The National Guard deployment and federal law enforcement crackdown is expected to take 30 days, per the White House, which hasn't ruled out extending this period. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Soldier in camouflage uniform carrying a large backpack walking toward a red stop sign on a street. — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that federal law enforcement on Aug. 11 were involved in a "total of 23 arrests, including multiple other contacts." Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Soldiers in camouflage pants and tan boots walking on a paved path with a blurred white banner in the background displaying the text "Always Ready, Always There!" and a social media handle. — "This is only the beginning. Over the course of the next month, the Trump administration will relentlessly pursue and arrest every violent criminal in the district who breaks the law, undermines public safety and endangers law-abiding Americans," Leavitt said at the Aug. 12 briefing. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Group of law enforcement officers wearing vests labeled POLICE and DEA walking across a crosswalk in an urban area with trees and traffic lights in the background. — Federal law enforcement officers patrol on the National Mall on Aug. 12. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

View of the U.S. Capitol dome framed by green trees, with a fence in the foreground displaying a white banner with red stripes, three stars, and the words "FREE DC" in bold red letters. — "Free DC" protests have emerged since law enforcement arrived on Aug. 12, but Leavitt maintains that the administration has broad public support for the crackdown. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

More from Axios:

Inside Trump's power play for more control in D.C.
What to know about the Home Rule Act and Trump's D.C. takeover
These are the cities Trump targeted next after federalizing D.C. police
"Unheard of and ominous": Trump's D.C. homelessness crackdown perplexes advocates

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more photos and details of additional developments.

Add Axios on Google

Scenes from D.C. as National Guard joins Trump's law enforcement crackdown

What to read next