Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, who has denied crime is out of control in her city, described the troop deployment as an "authoritarian push". Trump, a Republican, has also threatened similar deployments against New York and Chicago, two other Democratic-controlled cities.

Some National Guard units patrolling in Washington are now carrying firearms. Some have been seen cleaning areas and carrying garbage bags, though their stated mission is to reduce crime in the nation's capital.

U.S. National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington D.C. as part of what President Donald Trump said was his crackdown on crime were due to begin carrying weapons on Sunday night (August 24),