President Donald Trump’s plan to address crime in Washington, D.C., calls for deploying federalized National Guard troops along the National Mall overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning, according to a person familiar with the effort.
The idea is that residents and tourists would awake to the sight of a significant military presence, the person said.
The deployment of troops along a relatively safe and quiet stretch of Washington, D.C. — known for museums, monuments and hot dog vendors serving tourists — is extraordinary.
The law grants a president the power to active the National Guard to protect federal personnel and property, such as in the case of the inauguration or the Jan. 6, 2021, riots. A president also has the power to mobilize troops in times of extraordinary crisis as was done in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots.
But it was unclear what Thursday’s show of military might on U.S. soil would achieve, other than a spectacle for tourists and school groups on summer vacation.
Army officials said their mission was to aid law enforcement with logistics support, transportation and administration duties, as well as being visible around the Mall.
“That’s part of our assignment — to go to the national monuments and be present,” Col. Dave Butler, an Army spokesperson, told ABC News on Tuesday.
A White House official told reporters on Wednesday to expect a “significant” presence on the ground Wednesday night.
According to the person familiar with the plan, the presence of Guard troops would begin ramping up overnight and continue until Thursday.
Trump announced Monday that he planned to mobilize 800 National Guard troops to address what he considered “out of control” crime in the city, as well as taking over control of the police department.
Officials said a joint task force, led by Army Col. Larry Doane, will run the operation.
While the task force is expected to include 800 activated National Guard members, D.C. residents won’t see that many on the streets.
The troops will work in shifts of 100 to 200 troops at a time, and some of them will be assigned to administrative or logistical roles in support of local law enforcement.
The task force overseeing the activated Guard troops will operate similarly to how the D.C. Guard has handled inaugurations or responding to crises, as it did during the Jan. 6 riots. The National Park Service will play a considerable role because of its oversight of the National Mall, officials said.
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