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The National Guard is planning to stick around D.C. through January 2029 at a cost of $1.4 billion, per Pentagon budget estimates.

Why it matters: It's the clearest accounting yet of what it'd take to keep thousands of troops on city streets, while critics question whether taxpayer funds can be spent more efficiently on public safety.

The big picture: A year after President Trump's deployment, the sight of federal troops huddling on street corners or patrolling in sixes has become a part of daily life in Washington. 

Their numbers surged this summer to 4,622 as of Monday, with large contingents from Republican-led states like Georgia (800 troops) and South Carolina (492). 

And they're moving into new short-term rentals in neighborhoods like Dupont Circle, which officials say cost about half as much as hotels. Even so, housing is projected to cost about $4,055 a month per troop.

By the numbers: The Pentagon is requesting about $605 million to cover pay, travel allowances, and operation costs for fiscal 2027, per documents shared with Axios by Sen. Elizabeth Warren's office, after the Washington Post broke the news.

That includes $626 million for 2028 and an additional $198 million until Trump leaves office on Jan. 20, 2029.

Those estimates assume the average size of the force shrinks to roughly 2,500 after this summer's 250th anniversary events conclude. 

Flashback: Much of the original backlash to the deployment was that it would normalize the "use of military troops for domestic law enforcement," as D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argued in an ongoing lawsuit against the Trump administration.

Friction point: While Trump officials have defended the Guard's presence as necessary to deter crime, Niskanen Center researchers have said that the deployment isn't what reduced violent crime over the last year.

Researchers argued in May there are cheaper ways to fight crime, like investing that money in policing instead.

What they're saying: Guard members have responded to about 800 medical emergencies, said Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard, the head of the D.C. National Guard, per the Post.

Pentagon budgets $1.4 billion for National Guard in D.C.

It's the clearest accounting yet of what it'd take to keep thousands of troops on city streets.

A large group of National Guard troops, with more in the background, gathered around the fountain at Meridian Hill Park

National Guard troops rallied at Meridian Hill Park last month. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The National Guard is planning to stick around D.C. through January 2029 at a cost of $1.4 billion, per Pentagon budget estimates.Why it matters: It&#x27;s the clearest accounting yet of what it&#x27;d take to keep thousands of troops on city streets, while critics question whether taxpayer funds can be spent more efficiently on public safety.

News

No one's more involved in President Trump's D.C. fix-it spree than Doug Burgum, the Interior secretary overseeing everything from fountain repairs to the East Potomac golf course.

Why it matters: But it's the Reflecting Pool situation — what started as a simple-enough paint job — that's putting Burgum in a weird spot, catching fire from D.C.'s top prosecutor (and Trump's old New York pal) Jeanine Pirro and fresh scrutiny from the media. 

The big picture: The pool mess is overshadowing Burgum's other projects, like reviving the beloved fountains at Meridian Hill and Columbus Circle.

What was supposed to beautify one of Washington's largest (or longest) landmarks has devolved into questions about rushed contracting, finger-pointing about nanobubblers and pool sealant, peeling paint, several arrests, and now dropped criminal charges. 

And it's generating headlines like this one in Politico: "Jeanine Pirro berated Doug Burgum. But Interior staffers have been angry at him for months."

Catch up quick: Interior claimed vandals ripped up the Reflecting Pool liner, leading federal prosecutors to charge a former U.S. Olympian, among others.

But within a month, Pirro pulled a 180, throwing out Burgum's allegations of sabotage. The U.S. Attorney's office dropped the charges and instead blamed damages on a "botched installation."

Cue: Trump, who said Pirro was "folding like an umbrella."

Days later, Pirro appeared to be fighting for her job when she tore into Burgum face-to-face in the Oval Office, "accusing him of misleading the president," as told in the New York Times. 

Reports persist that Pirro might be on the outs.

"Secretary Burgum never misled the president and was very clear in all of his comments on the pool," a spokesperson for the Interior Department told the Times.

Zoom out: The controversy is snowballing amid broader complaints about Burgum's leadership at the Interior.

Politico detailed several departures from the agency, including its Senate-confirmed legal counsel and a longtime staffer named Tony Irish, who says Burgum "appears to combine arrogance with an utter lack of curiosity or humility" toward the department's career staff. 

A spokesperson told the outlet Burgum leads a "high-performing team" with "gratitude, humility, curiosity and courage," denying criticisms.

Burgum, meanwhile, appears to still be in Trump's good graces.

While disembarking from Air Force One next to President Trump, Doug Burgum holds a giant poster of a golf cart riding on a freshly painted surface of the Reflecting Pool

Trump gives Burgum on June 9 a poster of a freshly painted Reflecting Pool, with the note, "To Doug - Great Job!" Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Before all this, Burgum had been settling into life as a central player in Trump's efforts to remake D.C.

The former two-term North Dakota governor moved to the city — not the suburbs — with his wife, as told on Katie Miller's podcast.

"It's been fun to be back in an urban environment," Burgum said.

But asked whether he would rather spend three hours mowing the National Mall in a heat wave or answering questions about the Reflecting Pool?

Now partially drained, the Reflecting Pool awaits another round of repairs.

💭 It might be time for Burgum to pivot to that golf course. Town Talker is a column about money and power in Washington. Tell me about the talk of the town: cuneyt@axios.com

The Reflecting Pool haunts Doug Burgum

Doug Burgum is photographed with an out-of-focus Donald Trump in the foreground

Doug Burgum is Trump's D.C. fixer. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Town Talker

No one&#x27;s more involved in President Trump&#x27;s D.C. fix-it spree than <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Doug Burgum" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/11/15/doug-burgum-trump-interior-department-secretary" data-vars-content-id="57d89ec2-3065-496a-b458-131221822d85" data-vars-headline="The Reflecting Pool haunts Doug Burgum" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/11/15/doug-burgum-trump-interior-department-secretary" target="_self">Doug Burgum</a>, the Interior secretary overseeing everything from fountain repairs to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="East Potomac golf course" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/07/30/trump-east-potomac-golf-course" data-vars-content-id="57d89ec2-3065-496a-b458-131221822d85" data-vars-headline="The Reflecting Pool haunts Doug Burgum" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/07/30/trump-east-potomac-golf-course" target="_self">East Potomac golf course</a>.Why it matters: But it&#x27;s the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Reflecting Pool" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/02/olympian-indicted-for-allegedly-vandalizing-reflecting-pool" data-vars-content-id="57d89ec2-3065-496a-b458-131221822d85" data-vars-headline="The Reflecting Pool haunts Doug Burgum" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/02/olympian-indicted-for-allegedly-vandalizing-reflecting-pool" target="_self">Reflecting Pool</a> situation — what started as a simple-enough paint job — that&#x27;s putting Burgum in a weird spot, catching fire from D.C.&#x27;s top prosecutor (and Trump&#x27;s old New York pal) <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Jeanine Pirro" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/31/reflecting-pool-olympian-indicted-trump" data-vars-content-id="57d89ec2-3065-496a-b458-131221822d85" data-vars-headline="The Reflecting Pool haunts Doug Burgum" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/31/reflecting-pool-olympian-indicted-trump" target="_self">Jeanine Pirro</a> and fresh scrutiny from the media.

Politics

The Wharf is debuting the first "nationally sanctioned" DockDogs competition this week.

Why it matters: Sip your beer and watch these athletic pups stride and jump into the District Pier pool as if it were the canine Olympics.

What's happening: Dogs go toe-to-toe in games like the Speed Retrieve, racing to the end of a 40-foot pool in under six seconds. 

There's the Extreme Vertical showdown, where pups will try to grab a toy that'll be eight feet from the dock. "With some dogs reaching six and seven feet—and a world record of 9'2"—this is a can't-miss showdown," says The Wharf. 

Prizes and ribbons will be doled out to the goodest pups based on a cumulative score. 

The free, family- and pet-friendly event runs from 10am to 6pm

People can hang out at the Tito's lounge and order Pacifico beers or boozy frozen lemonades.

There'll be a Brandywine SPCA truck in Blair Circle to meet adoptable dogs and cats. A Woofbowl cart offers doggie treats.

🏛️ Historian Richard Brookhiser is discussing his book "The Hero Returns: Lafayette and the Legacy of Revolution," followed by a book signing. It's at Mount Vernon's George Washington Presidential Library on Thursday, 7-8pm. Details

🤠 It'll be Country Night at Nats Park tomorrow when Washington faces the Cincinnati Reds at 6:45pm. Gates open at 5:30 for line dancing, a petting farm, a mechanical bull and a free postgame concert by Jordan Davis. Game tickets

🍺 Port City Brewing Company is hosting its 3rd annual Port to Port Beer Festival on Saturday — with unlimited samples of craft pours, a live DJ and a 5oz tasting glass to take home. It's at the Alexandria brewery from noon to 4pm. Tickets $50+

👟 Sneaker Con is coming to D.C., a two-day sneaker and streetwear marketplace featuring 200-plus vendors, plus collectibles and trading opportunities. Saturday and Sunday at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Tickets $29+

Your D.C. weekend: DockDogs, Sneaker Con and a beer festival

Dalmatian leaps off a dock into a bright blue pool during a dock-diving event; a crowd watches from the edge, a blue sign reading RUN JUMP SWIM FAST on the left, and a clear blue sky overhead.

Fly doggy, fly. Photo Courtesy of DockDogs

The Wharf is debuting the first &quot;nationally sanctioned&quot; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="DockDogs competition" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wharfdc.com/dockdogs/" data-vars-content-id="7caa0cf6-0430-4a37-b681-a6dc1bd1b48d" data-vars-headline="Your D.C. weekend: DockDogs, Sneaker Con and a beer festival" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wharfdc.com/dockdogs/" target="_blank">DockDogs competition</a> this week.Why it matters: Sip your beer and watch these athletic pups stride and jump into the District Pier pool as if it were the canine Olympics.

Things to Do

One of the biggest unanswered questions about President Trump's $22.5 billion remake of Dulles Airport is how it'll be financed. 

Why it matters: Industry experts say airlines could pass at least some of the project's costs on to travelers. 

One figure already stands out: the airport's projected cost per enplanement — the average cost airlines pay the airport for each departing passenger. 

Currently, Dulles' is around $10. But according to the renovation plan, acquired by D.C. travel writer Edward Russell, that figure jumps to $90.64 by project completion in 2035. 

"That would be astronomical. United complains about Newark, which is $27," says industry analyst Robert Mann. "It doesn't make any sense to me." 

Mann says airlines typically pass higher airport costs on to passengers, while high fees can steer budget carriers away. 

United Airlines — Dulles' largest carrier and partner on the project — didn't comment. 

But Bloomberg writer Kriston Capps noted that United appears to be betting that the project stays on budget, passengers accept "higher prices," and increased traffic will eventually lower average costs.

"If anything goes wrong," Capps wrote on X, "the consequences of cost overruns for DMV customers will be enormous."

State of play: Like other major U.S. airport projects, the main funding source will be municipal bonds issued by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, as United confirmed last week.

Yes, but: "Right now, they have been so vague about how they intend to finance this," Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group tells Axios. It's still unclear how much debt United, the other airlines or MWAA will ultimately shoulder.

Follow the money: MWAA doesn't rely on taxpayer money, and Harteveldt doesn't expect public dollars to pay for the terminals. 

But Mann notes that some public-private airport projects — like in New York and New Jersey — have ultimately used taxpayer funding. 

Between the lines: Airlines could lead the charge to scale back the project's ambitions if costs climb. 

Every U.S. airport chief wants to replicate Singapore's extravagant airport, Harteveldt says. "And then they look at the bill."

That could mean delaying some terminal buildouts or nixing flourishes like fountains or marble.

"We can do without the angels singing from heaven," Harteveldt says. "That's happening right now in Chicago" for O'Hare's expansion.

What's ahead: An MWAA spokesperson says "more details will be developed and shared as the project moves forward," declining to answer further questions. 

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

The hidden cost of Trump's Dulles overhaul

The $90 fee raising eyebrows over Dulles' future

President Trump sits in the Oval Office, out of focus in the picture, in front of a physical mockup of the new Dulles airport

The financing is fuzzy. Photo: Ken Cedeno / AFP via Getty Images

One of the biggest unanswered questions about President Trump&#x27;s $22.5 billion remake of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Dulles Airport" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/07/30/trump-dulles-airport-plan" data-vars-content-id="ede1fd90-9fd7-420a-997d-e7e87b44219b" data-vars-headline="The hidden cost of Trump&#x27;s Dulles overhaul" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/07/30/trump-dulles-airport-plan" target="_self">Dulles Airport</a> is how it&#x27;ll be financed. Why it matters: Industry experts say airlines could pass at least some of the project&#x27;s costs on to travelers.

Waymo says it just leased a third D.C. location, but its robotaxi rollout is still pending a council bill.

Why it matters: The company wants to show council members skeptical about job losses that it's already putting down roots and ready to invest more.

State of play: Waymo's third location is its largest yet locally, meant to support EV charging and vehicle maintenance, says Matt Walsh, the company's east coast policy chief. 

Waymo declined to give specifics like the addresses of its facilities or their total anticipated investment in D.C. ("tens of millions of dollars" and "hundreds of jobs").

But Walsh gave reporters a tour of a separate facility it's constructing in Northeast on Wednesday. The 32,000-square-foot space is across from a Metrobus depot and will act like a tire-and-repairs center for its Jaguar SUVs tricked out with radars and sensors.

Jobs include maintenance technicians (hefty EVs wear out tires faster), "autonomous specialists" for its testing vehicles, and vehicle cleaners. 

Industrial warehouse with white walls, stacked boxes on the left, a forklift and orange cones on the right. A person in a yellow safety vest points to a photo board showing a finished interior space.

A look at the eventual build-out. Photo: Cuneyt Dil/Axios

What's ahead: Walsh says Waymo continues to push back against the council bill's proposed 200-vehicle cap. 

The company believes existing ride-hailing companies have upwards of 3,000 vehicles on D.C. streets.

The D.C. Council could make a final vote on the pending bill this coming fall or winter. If approved, service wouldn't begin until 2028.

Waymo expands D.C. footprint amid lobbying for council bill

Waymo is lobbying for changes to a vehicle cap in a pending council bill.

Waymo's Matt Walsh faces a TV screen that shows a company depot full of parked vehicles in San Francisco, inside a warehouse where the company is building a D.C. service facility.

A Waymo lot in San Francisco, shown inside it's future D.C. service facility. Photo: Cuneyt Dil/Axios

Waymo says it just leased a third D.C. location, but its robotaxi rollout is still pending a council bill.Why it matters: The company wants to show council members skeptical about job losses that it&#x27;s already putting down roots and ready to invest more.

Cuneyt Dil

Featured stories

The Reflecting Pool haunts Doug Burgum

Your D.C. weekend: DockDogs, Sneaker Con and a beer festival

Waymo expands D.C. footprint amid lobbying for council bill

Pentagon budgets $1.4 billion for National Guard in D.C.

The hidden cost of Trump's Dulles overhaul