Dressed in military uniforms and combat boots, hundreds of National Guard members could be seen on Thursday strolling alongside visitors, snapping photos, and indulging in ice cream from food trucks around the National Mall—one of the most secure areas in Washington, D.C.
While a few angry residents occasionally shouted at them, the soldiers largely remained unbothered, continuing with what appeared to be a relatively low-intensity duty.
Near the National Museum of African American History and Culture, five West Virginia National Guard troops were stationed at a street corner, notably distant from the city’s high-crime areas.
“It’s boring. We’re not really doing much,” said Sergeant Fox, who declined to share his first name.
Fox is one of nearly 2,000 National Guard personnel currently assigned to the capital, with around 1,200 coming from six states governed by Republicans. Their presence marks a dramatic security buildup in the Democratic-controlled city.
Though some soldiers informed newsmen that they were not tasked with making arrests, the stated mission for their deployment is to bolster a federal initiative targeting what President Donald Trump has labeled a national crime surge. However, this portrayal appears inconsistent with broader data showing a general decline in crime rates in recent years.
This contrast, along with the noticeable placement of troops near prominent landmarks such as the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and within sight of the U.S. Capitol, has fueled accusations—particularly from local Democratic officials—that the move is more about political optics than genuine crime prevention.
Washington’s Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, stated this week that she did not believe the troop deployment was genuinely about addressing public safety issues. She also voiced alarm over the presence of what she described as “an armed militia in the nation’s capital.”
Although the soldiers on Thursday were not carrying weapons, the Pentagon announced on Friday that the troops would soon be deployed with their standard-issue arms.
In stark contrast to the military visibility in central Washington, residents of Ward 8—located in the city’s southeast and known for its high crime rate—reported seeing no guardsmen at all. With the ward’s homicide rate significantly higher than most other areas, many residents expressed a desire for a security presence on their streets.
