National Guard are in Washington as part of Trump's plan to reduce violent crime in the city.
On Friday, an order by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi designating the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration Terry Cole as the District's "Emergency Police Commissioner" was retooled after a legal challenge by local officials.
Guard in DC unarmed, but that could change, officials say
National Guard troops deployed to Washington, D.C., remain unarmed as of Sunday, but Defense officials said that could change if the Guard is given different orders, particularly as their footprint is expected to grow.
Whether troops are armed will depend upon their mission, the officials said.
National Guard are stationed outside of Union Station in Washington, Aug. 14, 2025.
Sarah Beth Hensley/ABC News
The number of troops in D.C. is expected to grow to 1,176 in coming days. There are currently 826 personnel mobilized in the nation’s capital with another 350 Guard troops coming from West Virginia.
-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty
Aug 16, 2025, 8:14 PM EDT
South Carolina, Ohio governors say they're sending National Guard members to DC
The governors of South Carolina and Ohio announced Saturday they are sending National Guard members to Washington, D.C., which comes as part of President Donald Trump's anti-crime push in the nation's capital.
In a statement, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said he had authorized the deployment of 200 National Guard members to D.C.
"The guardsmen will support federal law enforcement activities under President Donald J. Trump's executive order to Restore Law and Order in the District of Columbia," McMaster said in the statement.
Members of the National Guard stand outside Union Station, August 14, 2025 in Washington.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
He said the Guardsmen will return to South Carolina if a hurricane or other natural disaster threatens the state.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said his state is sending 150 military police from the Ohio National Guard at the request of the secretary of the U.S. Army.
"These Ohio National Guard members will carry out presence patrols and serve as added security," DeWine said.
None of the military police members are currently serving as law enforcement officers in the state of Ohio, DeWine said.
The Ohio National Guard members are expected to arrive in Washington in the coming days, DeWine said.
Aug 16, 2025, 11:38 AM EDT
West Virginia governor sending state National Guard to DC
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Saturday that he is sending 300-400 National Guard members from the state to Washington, D.C., to support President Donald Trump's efforts to combat crime.
Morrisey said he was requested to do so by the Trump administration.
"At the request of the Trump administration, I have directed the @WVNationalGuard to support the President’s initiative to make D.C. safe and beautiful. We are deploying 300-400 skilled personnel to the nation’s capital, reflecting our commitment to a strong and secure America," Morrisey wrote on X.
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
Aug 15, 2025, 8:10 PM EDT
Revised directive from AG Bondi leaves DC police chief in charge
Attorney General Pam Bondi on Friday issued a revised directive that leaves Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith in charge of the city's police force, following a successful emergency legal effort by local D.C. leaders that challenged the administration's attempted total takeover of the MPD as unlawful.
Bondi's revised directive backtracks by making clear that Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole will not be serving as the "emergency police commissioner" of MPD as her Thursday order originally stated. Instead, Cole will serve as a "designee" tasked with directing D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to provide any services the federal government may need to enforce federal law in the District.
Bondi's new order directs the mayor to provide assistance with federal immigration law and provide "assistance with locating, apprehending, and detaining aliens unlawfully present in the United States" regardless of D.C. law and local police policies.
The revised directive comes following an emergency hearing convened by U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, in which she repeatedly indicated that the administration's attempted takeover of MPD was unlawful, and warned she would be forced to issue a temporary restraining order against the Justice Department if it didn't reverse course.
-ABC News' Alex Mallin
Editor's Note: The post has been updated to correct the last name of the D.C police chief.