WASHINGTON, D.C. — National Guard personnel have been deployed in Washington, D.C., since August 2025, and their numbers are scheduled to increase to 5,000 this summer. President Trump authorized this deployment under the Safe and Beautiful Task Force.
The task force also includes federal law enforcement agents and immigration personnel who operate alongside local police. Approximately 2,800 Guard personnel from Washington, D.C., and about twelve states with Republican governors are currently deployed. The president maintains legal command authority over the Guard within Washington, D.C.
Armed Guard personnel conduct high-visibility patrols at federal sites, residential areas, parks, and transit stations. These deployed Guard personnel lack legal arrest authority but are permitted to detain individuals. The patrols were intended to redirect municipal police officers to higher-crime zones, but researchers determined that this redeployment generally has not occurred.
A Niskanen Center analysis concluded that the Guard deployment had no measurable effect on violent crime rates. Report data shows a 24% decrease in opportunistic property offenses and vehicle break-ins since the deployment began. Robbery figures in Washington, D.C., were declining prior to the current presidential term. A Congressional Budget Office assessment estimates the current deployment costs approximately $1.5 million per day.
"I think on balance the Guard's deployment is not a failure, there is success in what they've done. But I guess the point that we try to make is: compared to what? You could get the same or better outcomes, possibly much better outcomes, for much cheaper, if you just were very thoughtful about policing." said Richard Hahn, a study author. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson rejected the study's findings, stating, "The study should not be taken seriously."
"The President's Safe and Beautiful Task Force and Guard presence have driven down crime, beautified the city, and improved quality of life for countless individuals." said Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson. Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald indicated that the task force's efforts would continue. "Our message today is that we're not done. We are not satisfied. We are not content with good." said Colin M. McDonald, Assistant Attorney General.