U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press about deploying federal law enforcement agents in Washington to bolster the local police presence, in the Press Briefing Room at the White House, in Washington D.C., U.S., August 11, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon
President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard onto the streets of Washington, D.C. after describing a crime-ridden nightmare he says has enveloped the city — despite it actually experiencing one of its lowest years of violent crime in recent years.
Those who have seen the data were quick to point out how much safer the city has become.
One of those was Hillary Clinton, who called out Trump, saying, "As you listen to an unhinged Trump try to justify deploying the National Guard in DC, here's reality: Violent crime in DC is at a 30-year low."
Author Tara Dublin responded to the stats by saying, "It was fine when Joe Biden was still President in January, weird!"
"For all intents and purposes, D.C. has now lost local control of its police department," remarked local Washington, D.C. reporter Martin Austermuhle on Bluesky. "Weirdly, Trump is arguing against more police for MPD. 'I heard 3,500 police. That’s a lot of police. I thought they were going to say we only have 30 policemen. We need more. You don’t need more. That’s an army,' he says. Trump instead says D.C. needs 'rough police.'"
Others were furious that during the Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol, Trump refused to send in the National Guard — yet he's quick to do so now. Despite prosecutions and guilty pleas, Trump pardoned those convicted of violent crimes during that insurrection.
Daniel Hodges, who was among the D.C. police officers at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, said, "As a former NG member and DC police: If this happens, the vast majority of them are just going to...stand around. They are not trained law enforcement. Extremely expensive photo op, and you're paying for it."
"So Trump’s big plan is to send in the National Guard to 'crack down on violent crime' in D.C.? Funny, I don’t remember him deploying them when actual violent criminals were smashing windows and beating police officers on January 6…oh right, those were his supporters," said Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko.
"There it is….Trump just announced he’s federalizing DC police and bringing the National Guard to DC….all things he said he didn’t have power to do on January 6 when he blamed Pelosi," remarked the WuTang Kids account.
Host and comedian Nicole Sandler quipped, in the middle of the Q&A section of the press conference, "Can this idiot shut the f--k up already?"
But several people remarked that deploying the National Guard into Washington, D.C. was another tactic to distract from his refusal to release the investigation documents on Jeffrey Epstein.
"The weirdest thing about Trump deploying the National Guard to the Nation's Capital is that he still hasn't released the Epstein files despite campaigning on that pledge, probably because he's directly complicit in a massive sex trafficking operation that targeted children," said writer and veteran Charlotte Clymer.
"Trump is mobilizing the National Guard against Americans in DC to distract you his administration's massive Epstein Files cover-up," blasted the "Never Trump" GOP group, the Lincoln Project.
"Love that Trump is going to deploy the national guard in DC to distract from Epstein," said Bulwark Publisher and longtime Republican Sarah Longwell.
"Trump is deploying the National Guard to DC to protect his name in the Epstein files," agreed Melanie D'Arrigo, the executive director of the New York City Health Campaign.
"Trump finally admitted he could have called the National Guard on January 6th to "rescue our nation's Capitol from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor.' Can the military remove pedos from the White House too?" remarked Majid M. Padellan, who is known as "Brooklyn Dad Defiant."