President Donald Trump is considering deploying hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., as part of a plan to remove homeless residents from the city and increase arrests for certain crimes, according to a U.S. official familiar with the discussions.
The move would be one of the most aggressive federal interventions in the capital in recent years, echoing past disputes over the president’s authority in a city where local leaders have long sought greater autonomy. While the scope of the plan remains unclear, the official said Trump has not yet made a final decision on troop numbers or their specific duties.
Unlike in U.S. states, where governors typically control the National Guard, the president directly commands the force in Washington. Past deployments have included security responses to major protests and the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that homeless people must leave “immediately” and would be relocated to facilities “far from the Capital,” while criminals, he said, would be jailed. The White House has not explained what legal authority the president would use to remove individuals from city streets, noting that federal jurisdiction covers only certain lands and buildings.
Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, pushed back on Trump’s assertions, saying the city is not facing a surge in crime. Citing police data, she noted violent crime is down 26 percent so far in 2025 compared with the same period last year, and overall crime is down about 7 percent. Bowser said the city had already worked with federal law enforcement to drive violent crime to its lowest levels in three decades.
The administration’s interest in heightened enforcement follows an attack on a young White House staffer that drew Trump’s ire. A senior official said 450 federal law enforcement officers were deployed across the city on Saturday. Reported offenses under their purview included unlicensed firearm possession, suspended license violations, and illegal dirt bike riding.
The scale of homelessness in Washington remains a persistent issue. According to the Community Partnership, a local nonprofit, more than 3,700 individuals experience homelessness on any given night, with most residing in shelters or transitional housing rather than living outdoors.
Trump is scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday to discuss violent crime in the capital. It is not clear whether he will detail his eviction proposal during the event. Any federal takeover of Washington’s government would likely require congressional action, as the city retains limited self-governance under a law dating back to the 1970s.
