Police officers check individuals at the Anacostia bus station in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 20, 2025. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
A tour guide in Washington, D.C. blasted the Trump administration's decision to send National Guard troops into the city to address crime, calling it a "spectacle" for tourists seeking a new photo op.
Elijah Edwards wrote a letter to the Washington Post editors on Friday, calling it "fitting" that most federal agents and troops were clustered along the National Mall and near city monuments, rather than in crime-heavy neighborhoods.
"The National Mall was one of the most secure areas in the city before the takeover and already has about 350 U.S. Park Police officers whose sole job it is to protect the city’s federal parks. To me, that makes it clear that the federal takeover of D.C. isn’t about crime or safety; it’s about spectacle," said Edwards.
Edwards said he's used to tourists palling around the city's most cherished landmarks, such as the Capitol, the White House and the Washington Monument. After the federal takeover of the city's police force and deployment of troops, tourists have a "new photo op: soldiers," he said.
But not everyone is thrilled with the opportunity to snap a selfie with armored trucks and camouflaged troops.
"For them, it’s a novelty. For residents, it’s an affront," he said. "Before the takeover, I never felt unsafe leading tours, whether early in the early morning or after dark. But the National Mall, now crowded with camouflage, feels more dangerous."
He warned the troops aren't meant to protect residents — "they’re here to make it look like the rest of the country needs protection from us."
"Tourists might leave with snapshots of soldiers under our monuments, but residents are left with something far heavier: the reminder that our city can be occupied on a president’s whim. The more we normalize troops in our streets, the more fragile the freedoms our nation’s monuments are meant to represent become," Edwards concluded.
Edwards' letter comes the same day a CNN analyst issued a brutal takedown of GOP-led states sending troops to the city, despite being home to cities with an even higher crime rate.
The federalization has also resulted in federal agents and troops swarming minor traffic infractions.