The Department of Defense has mobilized the National Guard and has other specialized units ready to address crime in Washington, DC.<\/b>
\nThe Department of Defense has mobilized the National Guard and has other specialized units ready to address crime in Washington, DC, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a press conference with President Donald Trump on Monday.
At the press conference Trump declared a \u201cpublic safety emergency\u201d in D.C., explaining that the capital city \u201chas been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people.\u201d
\u201cAnd we\u2019re not going to let it happen anymore,\u201d Trump said, invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control, and activating the National Guard.
\u201cYou\u2019re going to see police, or you\u2019re going to see FBI agents \u2014 going to have a lot of agents on the street,\u201d Trump said. \u201cYou\u2019re going to have a lot of, essentially, military. And we will bring in the military if it\u2019s needed. By the way, we\u2019re going to have National Guard, but Pete Hegseth will tell you about it. We will bring in the military if needed.\u201d
\u201cPeople say, \u2018Oh, that\u2019s so terrible.\u2019 \u2026 It\u2019s been many times over the years. I don\u2019t think we\u2019ll need it. I think we\u2019ve got so many great people, including the people that are in the police department, with proper leadership, they\u2019ll immediately begin massive enforcement operations targeting known gangs, drug dealers and criminal networks to get them the hell off the street, maybe get them out of the country, because a lot of them came into our country illegally,\u201d Trump said, eventually asking Hegseth to deliver a few remarks.
\u201cAt your direction this morning, we\u2019ve mobilized the D.C. National Guard. It will be operationalized by the Secretary of the Army, Dan Driscoll, through the D.C. guard. You will see them flowing into the streets of Washington in the coming week,\u201d Hegseth said.
\u201cAt your direction as well, sir, there are other units. We are prepared to bring in other National Guard units \u2014 other specialized units. They will be strong, they will be tough, and they will stand with their law enforcement partners,\u201d he said, noting that this is not new for the Department of Defense.
\u201cAs the President noted at the border, we\u2019ve got 10,000 troops down there who\u2019ve been operating in defense cooperation areas, defense zones \u2026 We\u2019ve been protecting other people\u2019s borders for 20 years. It\u2019s about time we protect our own. And we\u2019re working with ICE and CBP in Los Angeles, we did the same thing, working with the California National Guard, working with ICE officers,\u201d Hegseth continued. \u201cICE officers deserve to do their job and not be attacked.\u201d
\u201cWe will work alongside all D.C. police and federal law enforcement to ensure this city is safe. This city is beautiful, and as I always say about President Trump to the troops \u2014 he has their back,\u201d Hegseth added.
\u201cAnd my message to the National Guard and federal law enforcement in Washington is we have your back as well,\u201d he said. \u201cBe tough. Be strong.\u201d<\/p>\n