Republican-led states send hundreds of troops to Washington

(Patria) - The Governor of Mississippi stated that the state will send about 200 National Guard members to Washington, where they will join hundreds from other Republican-led states to double the number of troops in the U.S. capital, AFP reported.

U.S. President Donald Trump last week ordered the deployment of National Guard forces in Washington as part of what he called a crackdown on crime in the city.

"I have authorized the deployment of approximately 200 Mississippi National Guard soldiers to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump's efforts to restore law and order in our nation's capital," Governor Tate Reeves said in a statement.

This announcement followed announcements by the governors of Ohio, West Virginia, and South Carolina over the weekend who said they would send troops from their states.

Ohio will provide 150, South Carolina about 200, and West Virginia will send approximately 350, some of whom have already begun to arrive, according to a statement from the joint task force responsible for the mission.

They will join 800 Washington National Guard soldiers who have already been mobilized. It was not immediately clear why troops from other states were sent instead of additional personnel from Washington. The predominantly Democratic capital of the U.S. faces accusations from Republican politicians of being overrun by crime, plagued by homelessness, and poorly managed.

However, Washington police data shows a significant decrease in violent crime between 2023 and 2024, although this came after a post-pandemic surge in unrest.

The deployment of troops to Washington comes after Trump sent the National Guard and Marines to quell unrest in Los Angeles, California, triggered by immigration raids.

This was the first time since 1965 that a U.S. president deployed the National Guard against the wishes of a state governor.