The army secretary defends the deployment of the National Guard for DC Crime Fight

EXCLUSIVE: Army secretary Dan Driscoll Defended the deployment of national guard troops in Washington, DC, to fight against violent crimes, insisting that soldiers are “delighted” to support their own communities.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Driscoll said that the DC guard was “specially designed for this type of mission” and praised the 2,000 soldiers currently deployed – including 800 DC and 1,200 of six other states. While some criticisms warn against a “slippery slope” towards militarized police, Driscoll rejected these concerns as “imperfect”.

“We are the richest nation in world history and that our capital reflects this lack of high -violence standard that I think you will find in most of the other major cities in the world is a bit tragic,” said Driscoll. “Members of the individual guard to whom I spoke, they are delighted to be part of this mission.”

The Trump administration insisted that the custody acts to support the local and federal organizations for the application of the law in the mission of repressing the crime of DC which began on August 7. This week, the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that some guards would be authorized to carry weapons while organizing their mission throughout the city.

Some national guard troops are now armed in Washington, DC

Dry army. Dan Driscoll defended the deployment of national guard troops in Washington, DC, to help fight violent crimes, insisting that soldiers are “delighted” to support their own communities. (SPC. Luke Sullivan from 75th Ranger Regiment)

City leaders have attributed to the custody to facilitate the pressure on overloaded police forces, although questions remain on the scope of the mission and the duration of the troops will remain on the street. Defenders of civil freedoms, on the other hand, argue that the risks of deployment normalizing the use of military forces in the civil police. They warn that the previous one could extend beyond the capital and create sustainable tensions between communities and uniform troops.

“Most reports on the logic of the slippery slope around this are imperfect and unknown the real value that the President and the Secretary of Defense provide to the inhabitants of DC and our nation at the moment,” said Driscoll.

The White House suggested that the military could soon deploy the guard in other cities such as Chicago and Baltimore.

Vance says that the National Guard “ Breaking its A- ‘in Washington, Flott de la Mission

With the Dome of the American Capitol in the background, the members of the National Guard of DC watched outside the Union station on August 19, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque / Photo File / Reuters)

The National Army Guard has always been called during moments of civilian disorders or natural disasters, but rarely for the abolition of long -term crime. The debate on the DC mission underlines the double responsibilities of the guard – serving the governors of the States in the event of a national emergency and the federal government in national defense.

The Biden administration previously leaned on the custody during the Pandemia of Covid-19 and after the riot of the Capitol of January 6, when thousands of soldiers were mobilized to secure the city.

(Spt. Luke Sullivan / 75th Ranger Regiment)

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Driscoll has rejected the concerns that deployment could undermine the guardian’s will to deploy abroad if necessary. “These are soldiers who live here,” he said. “Their families are here. They see the effects of crime in their own neighborhoods, and they are proud to be part of the restoration of the security of the national capital.”

For Driscoll, the mission reflects what it calls a practical use of force. “They contribute every day to contribute every day, and the inhabitants of DC are safer for that,” he said.