Three states pledge to send National Guard troops to DC

By Alvin Wu
Domestic Affairs
Three states pledge to send National Guard troops to DC

D.C. National Guard soldiers patrol in front of the Washington Monument on Friday, Aug. 15. DCNG/X

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 (ZFJ) — West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio have pledged to send National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., for policing at the request of President Donald Trump.

Trump has declared a state of emergency due to crime in the nation’s capital and used it as the basis to federalize the district’s civilian Metropolitan Police Department and deploy National Guard soldiers and federal agents to the streets. Currently, 800 D.C. guardsmen have been deployed since Monday, Aug. 11.

Governors are the commanders-in-chief of their state National Guard forces and reserve the power to activate troops for emergencies under Title 32. The president is the commander-in-chief of all military forces of the U.S. and may federalize state guard forces under Title 10, bringing them under federal command, should he find it necessary.

The Posse Comitatus Act explicitly prohibits the regular military forces (like the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy) to be used for domestic law enforcement but makes a single exception for the National Guard in times of emergency.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morissey, a Republican, said on Saturday, Aug. 16, that his state will send 300-400 soldiers to D.C. for Trump’s ongoing guard deployment. The troops will be under the command of West Virginia Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jim Seward, and the mission will be federally funded.

“West Virginia is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation’s capital,” said Morissey.

On Saturday, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, a Republican, authorized 200 of his state’s guardsmen to be deployed to D.C. at the request of the federal National Guard Bureau. The mission will be funded by the federal government under Title 32.

Ohio Governor Mark DeWine, a Republican, will send 150 military police officers to D.C. at the request of the secretary of the army, according to a Saturday statement reported by WTOL.

“These Ohio National Guard members will carry out presence patrols and serve as added security. None of these military police members are currently serving as law enforcement officers in the state of Ohio,” reads the statement, which says that the guardsmen are expected to arrive in D.C. “in the coming days.”

Some governors have pushed back against deploying their state’s guardsmen to support Trump’s effort in Washington.

Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, “does not view the enforcement of domestic law as a proper use of the National Guard,” according to a statement reported by Vermont Public on Friday, Aug. 15, and attributed to the governor’s chief of staff Jason Gibbs.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat, previously issued a statement on Monday criticizing Trump’s guard deployment for policing as “[lacking] seriousness” and “deeply dangerous.”

When listing cities “that are bad, very bad” during a press conference, Trump named Baltimore, leaving open the possibility of further federal action beyond the capital.

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