West Virginia sends hundreds of National Guard members to Washington at Trump team’s request

Published On:

WashingtonAs part of the Trump administration’s federal assault on homelessness and crime, hundreds of West Virginia National Guard men will deploy throughout the nation’s capitals to restructure policing in the District of Columbia.

The action follows Trump’s executive order on Monday that federalized local police forces and activated approximately 800 D.C. National Guard troops, which has caused federal agents and National Guard troops to start showing up throughout the predominantly Democratic city.

Suggested Videos

President Donald Trump is further tightening his hold on Washington by temporarily assigning federal law enforcement agents to the city and bringing in foreign troops to supplement the current National Guard presence. The president has defended this power grab as an emergency response to homelessness and crime, despite district authorities pointing out that violent crime has decreased compared to Trump’s first term in office.

Before a march to the White House, which is roughly 1.5 miles away, hundreds of people gathered in Dupont Circle on Saturday afternoon to condemn Trump’s intervention. Some of the protesters held posters that read “No military occupation,” while others gathered behind a banner that read “No fascist takeover of D.C.” Following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, Trump was at his golf club in Virginia.

Governor Patrick Morrisey, a Republican from West Virginia, declared on Saturday that he would be sending between 300 and 400 members.

Morrisey stated, “West Virginia is proud to support President Trump in his endeavor to bring pride and beauty back to our nation’s capital.”

One of the organizers of Saturday’s demonstration, Morgan Taylor, stated that they hoped to generate enough criticism of Trump’s policies to compel the administration to rescind its immigration and crime policies.

Despite the heat, I’m happy to be here. She said, “It’s nice to see everyone out here.” It’s unbelievable that this is taking place in this nation right now.

Concerns over Trump’s overreach and his exploitation of crime as a pretext to force his way on Washington fueled the protests.

The 55-year-old John Finnigan encountered the protest in downtown Washington while out for a bike ride in the afternoon. Trump’s actions, according to the real estate construction manager who has spent 27 years in the capital, were absurd given crime is at a 30-year low.

Hopefully, some mayors and locals will stand up to it and work to make it more difficult for it to occur in other communities. “Finnigan said.”

A 24-year-old teacher named Jamie Dickstein expressed her uneasiness and concern for her pupils’ safety in light of the unmarked police officers of all stripes currently roving Washington and holding individuals.

According to Dickstein, she attended the demonstration alongside friends and family in order to stop a continuing chain reaction that might spread to other cities.

After the president downplayed the necessity for Washington to hire more police officers, the activation in West Virginia indicates that the administration recognizes the need for extra personnel.

In a statement, West Virginia’s adjutant general, Maj. Gen. James Seward, stated that the state’s National Guard members are prepared to assist our partners in the National Capital Region and that the Guard’s special preparedness and capabilities make it a valuable partner in this significant endeavor.

The presence of federal officials in some of the city’s busiest neighborhoods has elicited mixed reactions from locals and national politicians, including praise, criticism, and fear.

Although they have objected to the extent of the president’s takeover, city officials have attempted to collaborate with the administration since they are required to do so under federal statutes that control municipal governance in the district.

After the district’s top attorney filed a lawsuit to challenge the order, the administration on Friday changed its original plan to designate the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration as an emergency police commissioner. Following a court hearing, Pam Bond, Trump’s attorney general, sent out a memo instructing the MPD to work with federal immigration enforcement regardless of local ordinances.

According to district officials, they are assessing the best way to comply.

Trump proclaimed an emergency in his proclamation on Monday because the local government had failed to keep the peace. According to him, that made it more difficult for the federal government to function effectively and serve the interests of the country as a whole without worrying about our employees being the targets of widespread violence.

Our limited self-government has never been put to the kind of stress we are currently facing, said Democrat Mayor Muriel Bowser in a letter to city citizens. If Washingtonians remain united, she continued, we will demonstrate to the country what it means to defend American democracy even in the absence of complete access to it.

___

This item was written by Josh Boak of the Associated Press.

Leave a Comment