Members of the South Carolina National Guard patrol outside of Union Station on Aug. 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America
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Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America
President Trump said he plans to go on patrol on Thursday night with the police and National Guard forces that he has charged with a high-profile push against what he has described as rampant crime and homelessness in Washington, D.C.
“I’m going to be going out tonight, I think, with the police, and with the military, of course. So we’re going to do a job,” Trump told The Todd Starnes Show. The White House did not immediately confirm or comment on Trump’s plans.
Trump earlier this month sought to use emergency powers to take control of the Metropolitan Police Department. He deployed National Guard soldiers and seconded hundreds of federal law enforcement officials to the capital. The White House has said more than 600 people have been arrested on a range of charges and dozens of homeless encampments have been cleared.
The crackdown has been criticized as over the top by the city’s mayor and other officials. Vice President Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were booed by protesters during a photo op with National Guard members at Union Station on Wednesday.
This is a developing story and will be updated.