WASHINGTON – At Union Station, the familiar flow of tourists and travelers fresh off trains and buses poured out of the colonnaded entrance blocks from the Capitol building.
There was one new presence – dozens of National Guard troops in camouflage fatigues.
Soldiers patrolled for hours outside the main station in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 14, just days after President Donald Trump announced a military and law enforcement clampdown on "out of control" crime in a city where crime has statistically declined.
Earlier this week, Trump seized control of local law enforcement and deployed 800 National Guardsmen from the District of Columbia in response to what he framed as a public safety emergency for the city. Advocates, lawmakers and many residents have pushed back on that characterization, which defies crime data.
In the rest of the country, the president cannot deploy troops in a policing capacity without the consent of the state's governor. Washington is an exception – Trump has the green light to deploy troops to take on law enforcement functions under his sole command. The Army has said the troops have been tasked with guarding National Park Service property, such as the National Mall, and to help law enforcement with administrative duties and transportation. They are unarmed, but officials told USA TODAY that soldiers could be ordered to carry weapons if their assignment changes.
