West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Saturday that, at the request of the Trump administration, he will deploy hundreds from his state’s National Guard to Washington, D.C.
“West Virginia is proud to stand with President [Donald] Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation’s capital,” the governor said in a press release. “The men and women of our National Guard represent the best of our state, and this mission reflects our shared commitment to a strong and secure America.”
Trump has fixated on crime in Washington in the last week, deploying the National Guard on Monday and invoking for the first time ever a provision of the Home Rule Act — the 1970s law that grants the District limited self-governance — for what the administration described as a takeover of the city’s police force, despite violent crime declining in the city.
City leaders and the administration are now locked in a legal battle after Attorney General Pam Bondi tried to appoint an “emergency” police commissioner, a move the administration partially walked back in an agreement with city officials amid a lawsuit Friday.
The state’s involvement will “include providing mission-essential equipment, specialized training, and approximately 300-400 skilled personnel as directed,” the release said.
In the past week, as a part of the president’s “Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force,” Trump has put approximately 800 National Guard troops throughout the D.C. and taken partial control of the D.C. police force.
The Friday agreement came after Bondi named Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole as “emergency police commissioner,” cutting D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and city police chief Pamela Smith out of the chain of command.
But on Friday, DOJ officials agreed to rewrite that order at a judge’s urging, naming Cole as Bondi’s “designee,” responsible for directing Bowser to provide the police department’s services as the attorney general “deems necessary and appropriate.”
Federal law enforcement officers from a variety of agencies have been spotted at an increased frequency throughout the city in recent days, even as federal agencies maintain a visible presence yearround.
On Friday night, officers with Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Marshals were patrolling U Street, the popular D.C. nightlife area, according to social media posts.
Homeless encampments have also begun being cleared throughout the city, including in Foggy Bottom — which is home to The George Washington University and the State Department — and near the Kennedy Center. Trump has vowed to move homeless people “FAR from the Capital” as part of the takeover.
“This initiative aligns with our values of service and dedication to our communities,” said West Virginia Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jim Seward, who will oversee the troops.
In a lengthy statement Friday night, Bowser attempted to ease Washington residents’ concerns, while remaining diplomatic.
“I know that if we keep sticking together, we will make it to the other side of this,” she wrote, “we will make future generations of Washingtonians proud, and we will show the entire nation what it looks like to fight for American democracy — even when we don’t have full access to it.”
