Trump is considering deploying up to 1,000 National Guard troops to DC and could make the announcement as soon as today, according to a defense official and two US officials.
The guard number that would be assigned is still in flow, officials say, and most troops would probably be taken from the National Guard of DC.
The officials emphasize that the decision is not definitive and no orders have been signed.
This is part of the president’s continuous effort to increase security in the capital of the nation, but the guard would focus mainly on supporting the application of the law with things such as administrative aid and the protection of federal personnel and property, not participating in direct activities of application of the law.
When asked about the decision, a White House official told NBC News “we do not get ahead of the president about any possible announcement, but the president has been clear that all the options are on the table when it comes to making DC be safe again.”
Trump foreshaded this decision on Wednesday when he discussed the crime in DC, saying: “What a pity, crime rate, the muggings rate, murders and everything else. We are not going to leave it, and that includes bringing the National Guard, perhaps very fast too.”
