Topline
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey directed hundreds of National Guard personnel to deploy in Washington, D.C., at the request of the Trump administration, his office announced Saturday, as President Donald Trump’s controversial crackdown in the capital continued despite historically low crime rates.
Morrisey requested West Virginia’s National Guard to deploy between 300 and 400 “skilled personnel” in Washington, D.C., to “restore cleanliness and safety” to the capital and as a “show of commitment to public safety and regional cooperation,” his office said in a statement Saturday.
National Guardsmen from the state will provide “mission-essential equipment” and “specialized training,” Morrisey’s office said, noting their mission will be federally funded.
The National Guard was officially deployed in D.C. on Tuesday as about 800 members were activated, including between 100 and 200 National Guardsmen deployed to the stress in a supportive capacity for law enforcement, though they do not have the authority to make arrests.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday the Trump administration will “reevaluate and reassess” the situation in D.C. after 30 days, after which the White House will require Congressional approval to maintain control over the Metropolitan Police Department.
Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb accused the Trump administration of a “brazen usurpation of the district’s authority” in a lawsuit Thursday and alleged Trump overstepped by ordering a federal takeover of the capital’s police. His allegations come after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered to install Drug Enforcement Administration chief Terry Cole as “emergency commissioner” at the MPD, while also revoking some MPD policies. “By illegally declaring a takeover of MPD, the administration is abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law,” Schwalb said.
Agents from several federal agencies, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and Border Patrol, were deployed to Washington, D.C., late last week as Trump claimed violent crime had become widespread in the capital. Trump deployed the National Guard and, under a provision of the Home Rule Act of 1973, issued a federal takeover of the MPD, placing it under Bondi’s control. Bondi said she held a “productive meeting” with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Tuesday and said the DOJ would “work closely” with the city’s government and police department. Despite Trump’s claims, violent crime fell to a 30-year low, the DOJ said in January. Violent crime rates dropped 35% from 2023 to 2024, according to federal data, and according to figures released by the MPD on Aug. 8, violent crime rates have dropped 26% year-over-year so far.