Gov. Tate Reeves has given the green light for around 200 Mississippi National Guard troops to be sent to the nation’s capital as President Donald Trump continues his push to flood Washington, D.C. with federal law enforcement.
Last week, Trump federalized the Metropolitan Police Department, allowing for hundreds of National Guard soldiers and federal agents to be deployed to police the streets of the capital. The president’s efforts to “beautify” D.C. follow a spike in violent crime in the city’s downtown. The ultimate straw that broke the camel’s back, though, was the brutal assault of 19-year-old Department of Government Efficiency employee Edward Coristine earlier this month.
“I’ve approved the deployment of approximately 200 Mississippi National Guard Soldiers to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump’s effort to return law and order to our nation’s capital,” Reeves said.
“Crime is out of control there, and it’s clear something must be done to combat it,” he continued. “Americans deserve a safe capital city that we can all be proud of. I know the brave men and women of our National Guard will do an excellent job enhancing public safety and supporting law enforcement.”
Violence in Washington, D.C. also caught the nation’s eye last year when former Barack Obama and Trump administration official Mike Gill was shot and killed during a carjacking spree. During the 2024 presidential campaign trail, Trump vowed to “restore law and order” to the capital, and even hinted at a federal takeover.
The president currently has 30 days of temporary emergency control of the capital under current law. He has warned that he could declare a national emergency to prolong the takeover if Congress doesn’t step in. At this time, however, Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb is suing the federal government over Trump’s takeover.
Reeves is joining his GOP governor peers from Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia in sending troops to aid the president’s efforts.
