Aug 26, 2025 - News

National Guard becomes D.C. tourists' newest photo op

Anna Spiegel

A woman wearing sunglasses takes a selfie with a smiling soldier in camouflage uniform standing beside a large tan military vehicle in front of a grand white stone building under a blue sky. — A woman takes a selfie with members of the National Guard outside Union Station. Photo by Dominic Gwinn / Middle East Images via AFP

A woman takes a selfie with members of the National Guard outside Union Station. Photo by Dominic Gwinn / Middle East Images via AFP

While many D.C. locals are becoming citizen journalists during Trump's federal crackdown, documenting ICE arrests and traffic checkpoints, some tourists are starting a new trend: snapping photos and selfies with the National Guard.

Three women in camouflage military uniforms and a man in a blue striped shirt and jeans stand smiling outdoors on gravel with grass and orange-white barriers behind. — Members of the National Guard pose for pictures with a tourist on the National Mall. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

A soldier in camouflage uniform takes a photo with a smartphone of a woman posing with a peace sign next to a tan military vehicle on a street corner with trees in the background. — A member of the National Guard takes a photograph of a woman standing against military equipment. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

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National Guard becomes D.C. tourists' newest photo op

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