GOP-led states sending National Guard troops to D.C.
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Members of the DC National Guard position their Oshkosh M-ATV vehicles as they arrive at Union Station on August 15 in Washington, DC. Photo: Andrew Leyden/Getty Images
The Republican governors of three states announced they will send state National Guard personnel to Washington, D.C., at the Trump administration's request.
The big picture: The deployment of hundreds of additional troops, who will join the 800 already mobilized in the nation's capital, marks a major escalation in President Trump's takeover.
Driving the news: South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster authorized the deployment of 200 Guard personnel from his state to support federal law enforcement activities, according to a Saturday statement.
- The deployment, per his office's statement, comes at the request of the Pentagon's National Guard Bureau and will be funded by the federal government under Title 32.
Zoom out: Some 300 to 400 West Virginia Guard personnel will also be deployed to the District at the administration's request, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced.
- "West Virginia is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation's capital," he said in a statement.
Those troops will be joined by 150 military police from the Ohio National Guard, sent by Gov. Mike DeWine.
- In a statement, DeWine said those members, who will "carry out presence patrols and serve as added security," were requested by Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll.
- They are expected to arrive in D.C. in the coming days.
Catch up quick: Trump on Monday announced a federal takeover of the District's police and deployment of National Guard troops in his push to crack down on crime and homelessness in D.C.
- Trump's memorandum, signed Monday, directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to coordinate with state governors to authorize additional Guard units as needed.
- The president has cast his crackdown as an effort to "take our Capital back," describing rampant lawlessness in a city where violent crime is trending down.
The other side: Asked about the deployments on ABC's "This Week" Sunday, Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) slammed them as a "total abuse of power" and a "manufactured emergency."
- "This is all an opportunity for Donald Trump to play dictator in Washington, D.C.," he argued.
- A group of House and Senate Democrats, including Van Hollen, last week introduced a long-shot joint resolution aiming to end Trump's control of the city's police force.
Zoom in: The D.C. National Guard members — who, unlike Guard personnel in other states and territories, report to the president — have "broad latitude," Hegseth told Fox News Monday, but he noted they won't be involved in law enforcement functions.
- But if police aren't around, Hegseth said he "will have their back to ensure they can take the necessary action to protect citizens of D.C. and to protect themselves."
- He said troops could remain in D.C. for weeks or months but emphasized that it's "the president's call."
- Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told reporters Thursday that those personnel will not be making arrests, but they may "temporarily limit the movement of an individual who has entered restricted or secured area without permission."
Go deeper: What federal agents can and can't do in Trump's D.C. crackdown
