The Republican governors of West Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio announced on Saturday that they plan to send hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, to support the deployment ordered by US President Donald Trump.
The US state of West Virginia plans to send 300 to 400 National Guard troops to the capital, Governor Patrick Morrisey said, to help restore “cleanliness and safety” at the request of the government.
Henry McMaster, governor of South Carolina, said on X he had approved the deployment of 200 National Guardsmen “to support President Trump in his mission to restore law and order” to the nation’s capital.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he authorized sending 150 Ohio National Guard members to “carry out presence patrols and serve as added security,” according to US media reports.
Trump has justified the deployment by citing rising crime and public disorder in Washington, claims not reflected in official crime statistics. Critics say the move appears aimed more at demonstrating strength amid domestic political pressures.
The additional troops are intended to supplement a previously announced contingent of 800 National Guard members, US media reported, citing government sources.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the new units could carry weapons, unlike the current unarmed patrols. The military has stated that National Guard troops in Washington are equipped with personal protective gear, including body armour, while weapons remain stored unless needed.
The deployment follows a controversial decree issued by Trump on Monday, which invoked the Home Rule Act to place Washington’s police under federal command during a state of emergency.
However, Washington Attorney General Brian Schwalb has argued that the law only allows the US president to instruct Washington’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, on how law enforcement agencies should be deployed.
Trump’s focus – and thus that of law enforcement agencies – is primarily on migrants who may be in the country without residence permits, as well as homeless individuals on the city’s streets and squares.
The National Guard is a military reserve unit and part of the US armed forces. The states usually have control over the National Guard, which can be deployed in natural disasters, unrest and domestic emergencies.
