The sight of camouflaged soldiers on the streets of Washington DC is rare. But this week, they arrived in numbers, ordered in by President Donald Trump to tackle what he calls a crime crisis.
Armoured vehicles parked near landmarks. Troops erected barricades outside government buildings. Others took selfies with tourists on the National Mall. Officials say 800 National Guard troops and 500 federal law enforcement agents are joining the effort.
Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, calls it an overreach. “This is an authoritarian push,” she told residents at a town hall, urging them to “protect our city, protect our autonomy, and get to the other side of this guy.”
Trump, a Republican, insists the move is necessary. “This is only the beginning,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “Over the next month, we will relentlessly pursue and arrest every violent criminal in the District.”
The clash comes as the two sides present starkly different pictures of the city. Trump cites spiralling violence. But Washington’s Metropolitan Police say violent crime has fallen sharply—down 26% this year compared with the same period in 2024, with robberies down 28%. Preliminary data suggests 2025 could see the lowest violent crime levels in three decades.
Still, the numbers don’t erase the headlines. This week marked the city’s 100th homicide of the year after a shooting in Logan Circle, just a mile from the White House. The suspect, armed with a rifle, remains at large.
Police Chief Pamela Smith says she will work with federal forces. “We know that we have to get illegal guns off our streets,” she said. “If we have this enhanced presence, it’s going to make our city even better.”
Yet the debate over the data rages. DC Police Union chairman Gregg Pemberton accuses the department of “deliberately falsifying” figures. FBI data shows a smaller, 9% drop in crime last year. And while Washington’s overall crime rate has declined, its homicide rate remains high compared with other major US cities.
For now, the soldiers will stay. To some, they are a symbol of restored order. To others, they are a sign of political power flexed on the streets of the capital.
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