❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Pentagon will maintain the National Guard presence in Washington, D.C., until 2029.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, National Guard members, and local D.C. residents.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Washington, D.C., through 2029 during Trump’s term.
🎯IMPACT: The National Guard presence has coincided with a sharp decline in crime, but sparked resistance from Democrat lawmakers and far-left political groups.
The Trump administration is expected to extend the deployment of National Guard members in Washington, D.C. until 2029. While the Pentagon has not formally announced the deployment extension, it is anticipated that the order will soon be approved by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, with the National Guard presence remaining in the nation’s capital until the end of President Donald J. Trump‘s second term in office.
The National Guard deployment across the capital has coincided with a notable reduction in violent crime, with the initial deployment last summer first extended until February 2026, and subsequently extended again in January until the end of the year. The National Pulse previously reported that data published by Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) shows that, year-to-date, homicides were down 80 percent, robberies down 58 percent, burglaries down 58 percent, car thefts down 57 percent, and crime across the board down 26 percent.
Additionally, the Washington, D.C., metro area’s public transit system announced this past January that 2025 saw the lowest crime rate on the subway and bus networks in decades. This precipitous drop in crime appears directly tied to the National Guard presence around the city.
The deployment has met with minor opposition, mainly from Democrat lawmakers on Capitol Hill and far-left activist groups that have organized small protests across the city. However, a survey of Washington, D.C. residents during the initial deployment last August shows that 54 percent of voters in the capital believe President Trump’s crackdown on violent crime and National Guard deployment is justified and necessary.
Still, attempts by the Trump administration to expand the successful crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C., to other major American cities have proven difficult. In mid-February, the Pentagon ended the federal deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland. This followed months of Democrat-led lawfare against the deployments.
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.