Trump Administration

One Year Later, Why Is the National Guard Still in D.C.?

As the National Guard deployment stretches into its second year, questions remain about why the $55 million-per-month show of force is necessary at all.

Autumn Billings | 8.11.2026 11:00 AM

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(Photo: Samuel Corum/Sipa USA/Newscom)

One year ago today, President Donald Trump announced a "public safety emergency" in Washington, D.C., leading to the deployment of nearly 2,000 National Guard members to the nation's capital. But what was meant to be a temporary measure has ballooned into a multiyear campaign costing around $2.1 billion, despite significant drops in crime and ongoing civil liberty concerns.   

In August 2025, Trump issued an executive order declaring a "crime emergency in the District of Columbia," following the assault and robbery of Edward "Big Balls" Coristine, a former engineer for the Department of Government Efficiency. Within days, 450 federal law enforcement officers and nearly 2,000 National Guard members, including troops from Republican-led........

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