{"id":2347,"date":"2025-08-22T16:35:43","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T16:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2025\/08\/22\/on-edge-trumps-military-deployment-in-us-capital-sparks-fear-confusion\/"},"modified":"2025-08-22T16:35:43","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T16:35:43","slug":"on-edge-trumps-military-deployment-in-us-capital-sparks-fear-confusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2025\/08\/22\/on-edge-trumps-military-deployment-in-us-capital-sparks-fear-confusion\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018On edge\u2019: Trump\u2019s military deployment in US capital sparks fear, confusion"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Washington, DC, United States \u2013 <\/strong>Outside Union Station in the US capital, bored-looking soldiers linger near two large armoured vehicles as commuters and tourists snap photos of the unusual scene.<\/p>\n

Inside the century-old transportation hub, a dozen National Guard soldiers pace the marble floors, appearing to be armed only with zip-tie handcuffs.<\/p>\n

Their presence did not directly disrupt traffic, but the Trump administration\u2019s deployment of federal forces<\/a> \u2013 part of its takeover of city policing \u2013 has left Washington residents fearful and confused.<\/p>\n

Randy Kindle, a 48-year-old Air Force veteran, called the deployment a \u201cshow\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s disrespectful to our troops to have to invade their own country essentially and be pitted against their own citizens,\u201d Kindle told Al Jazeera outside Union Station.<\/p>\n

He said he witnessed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in neighbouring Maryland during which the immigration agents had their own film crew.<\/p>\n

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security released a video of golden-branded ICE trucks with President Donald Trump\u2019s name on the back featuring a rap song that says: \u201cMy heart so cold I think I\u2019m done with ice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a reality show for them,\u201d Kindle said. \u201cIt\u2019s a f****** idiocracy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout Washington on Thursday, soldiers were seen going up and down the escalators at metro stations, chatting among themselves and loitering on street corners.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom what I\u2019ve seen and heard, many of the troops are standing around, many of them out in the elements, not supported with proper equipment or vehicles \u2013 frankly looking bored,\u201d Washington Council member Zachary Parker told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a manufactured crisis made up by the Trump administration for their own political gain,\u201d Parker said.<\/p>\n

Trump said the federalisation of Washington\u2019s policing was necessary and aimed to combat what he described as rampant crime<\/a> in the city.<\/p>\n

But official data show that crime has seen a sharp decline in the US capital over the past few years, hitting a 30-year low<\/a> in 2024, according to the US Department of Justice.<\/p>\n

Parker warned that Trump\u2019s move in Washington should not be taken lightly by the rest of the country.<\/p>\n

He said that, at best, the Washington takeover may be an attempt to make Trump look tough on crime and distract from issues the US president is facing.<\/p>\n

\u201cA darker view of this moment is that this is a precursor<\/a> of militarising American cities and streets and confronting American citizens with military might,\u201d the council member told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we ought to take this moment very seriously \u2013 both those of us here in DC, but Americans writ large.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump praises the crackdown<\/h2>\n

Since the federal takeover began last week, the Trump administration has centred the issue in its public messaging.<\/p>\n

For example, as of Friday morning, seven of the past 10 posts on X by Attorney General Pam Bondi were about Washington, DC.<\/p>\n

Bondi has been sharing daily updates about arrests made in the city \u2013 a total of 719, including 40 on Thursday. Washington police arrested an average of 56 people daily last year, according to city data.<\/p>\n

The Justice Department, which did not respond to Al Jazeera\u2019s request for comment, has not specified whether the arrests were made entirely by federal agents or whether they include law enforcement action by Washington\u2019s Metropolitan Police Department.<\/p>\n

But ABC 7 News<\/a> cited federal officials as saying the numbers included arrests by all agencies in the city.<\/p>\n

\"President
President Donald Trump speaks with members of law enforcement and National Guard soldiers, Thursday, August 21, 2025, in Washington. [Jacquelyn Martin\/AP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s also not clear whether the detention of undocumented immigrants is included in the tally. Arrests made by ICE were only distinguished in Bondi\u2019s daily announcements on Thursday and Friday.<\/p>\n

But Trump and his aides are talking up the arrests as a considerable feat.<\/p>\n

On Thursday evening, Trump rode around Washington with law enforcement officers in a show of control and defiance against critics of the crackdown.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had some incredible results. \u2026 It\u2019s like a different place. It\u2019s like a different city. It\u2019s the capital. It\u2019s going to be the best in the world,\u201d the US president told soldiers and law enforcement officers.<\/p>\n

Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also visited Union Station<\/a> on Wednesday, where they made a public showing of ordering burgers at a fast food restaurant as protesters chanted against them.<\/p>\n

Trump\u00a0first suggested federalising law enforcement in Washington after an employee of his cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency was assaulted during a carjacking early this month.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Armoured
An armoured vehicle parked outside Union Station in Washington, DC, on August 21, 2025 [Ali Harb\/Al Jazeera]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why Washington?<\/h2>\n

Since he entered politics in 2015, Trump has described major cities, which are almost all run by Democrats, as infested by crime, drugs and homelessness.<\/p>\n

That perception echoed some rural conservative attitudes towards liberal cities.<\/p>\n

Trump has long threatened to send the military to cities he views as dangerous, but the US Constitution gives the power of policing to the states, not the federal government.<\/p>\n

Washington, DC, however, is not a state. As the US capital, it has no votes in the US Congress or enshrined state rights.<\/p>\n

While the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 gives the local government some control over the city, the federal government retains some powers over Washington. For example, Congress may overturn<\/a> local resolutions approved by the city council.<\/p>\n

The law also allows the president to take over<\/a> policing in the capital for 30 days.<\/p>\n

Washington also votes overwhelmingly for the Democratic Party \u2013 Democrat Kamala Harris<\/a> won the city against Trump, a Republican, with 92.5 percent of the ballots last year \u2013 and it has been ripe for a Trump crackdown.<\/p>\n

Several residents expressed bewilderment to Al Jazeera and questioned the need for patrols by federal forces in crowded metro stations and tourist areas that are low-crime spots.<\/p>\n

\n

Iced out. \ud83e\udd76 pic.twitter.com\/xhexqgmbzS<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 14, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Crime in DC<\/h2>\n

Washington is a city of 700,000 people with a metropolitan area that extends into suburbs in Maryland and Virginia and encompasses more than six million residents.<\/p>\n

Kindle said some tourists and Republican officials want Washington to look like an \u201camusement park\u201d rather than the densely populated metropolis that it is.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey think that this is like Disneyland. This is a tourist spot. It should be sanitised for them,\u201d he said. \u201cBut they\u2019re seeing what they would see in their own cities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite improvements in recent years, several residents told Al Jazeera that crime still remains a concern in Washington.<\/p>\n

The city has a homicide rate of about 25 per 100,000 residents, which is significantly higher than the national average but lower than other cities of similar size, including Detroit, Michigan, and Memphis, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

US News & World Report, which tracks crime data for its rankings, does not include Washington on the list<\/a> of the 25 most dangerous cities in the country.<\/p>\n

Some welcome the National Guard<\/h2>\n

Washington continues to suffer from property crime that sometimes turns violent, especially carjackings involving juveniles, with 190 incidents recorded this year so far.<\/p>\n

While defending the deployment of troops in DC, the White House argued on its website that Washington has the fourth-highest homicide rate in the country \u2013 \u201cnearly six times higher than New York City and also higher than Atlanta, Chicago, and Compton.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leroy Miles, a 75-year-old retiree, said \u201cit\u2019s good\u201d that federal forces are helping the local police.<\/p>\n

Miles said he was no fan of Trump and called him a \u201ccrook\u201d<\/a>\u00a0but accused local authorities of not doing an adequate job in combating crime.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese young people out here, they\u2019re robbing and killing. They\u2019re carjacking. So they need some type of old law and order,\u201d said Miles, who has always lived in Washington.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s happening \u2013 a lot of people don\u2019t like it, but it might work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Man
A demonstrator holds a one-person protest outside Union Station on August 21, 2025 [Ali Harb\/Al Jazeera]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018Less safe\u2019<\/h2>\n

Parker stressed that there is no crime crisis in Washington, but he added that it \u201cdoesn\u2019t mean that we don\u2019t have more work to do\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are ways in which our local government can productively work with the federal government,\u201d Parker said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what is happening here \u2013 where there is an influx of federal officers across the city and National Guards, people deployed, including those from other states \u2013 is not the way. This is not how this should be done.\u201d<\/p>\n

He underscored that the Republican-controlled Congress has cut and so far failed to restore $1bn in funding for Washington \u2013 money that would go to fighting crime, paying police officers and supporting city services that enhance public safety.<\/p>\n

The council member expressed admiration for the National Guard troops<\/a>, who are called on to help in crises and natural disasters, but he said bringing outsiders to police the city could erode trust between the community and law enforcement officers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re already seeing it. I have heard directly from residents who are second-guessing calling 911 in instances of true emergencies for fear of what\u2019s going to be the outcome or who might show up at their door,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hearing from parents that they are concerned about sending their kids to school for the first day of school next week. I am hearing from residents who are defending and rallying against ICE patrols that are seeking to criminalise our neighbours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parker said the federal crackdown is making Washington \u201cless safe\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Soldiers\"
US National Guard members entering Union Station [Ali Harb\/Al Jazeera]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018We are on edge\u2019<\/h2>\n

A Washington Post poll<\/a> released on Wednesday suggested 80 percent of Washington residents oppose \u201cTrump taking control of DC\u2019s police and federal troops patrolling the streets\u201d while 72 percent of respondents favour the city becoming a state.<\/p>\n

Loss of local control in a place where tax-paying citizens do not have federal voting representation is another aspect that is raising protests against the Trump takeover.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have, as a country, allowed for the disenfranchisement of Washingtonians, and now there is an effort to undermine the local autonomy that we do have,\u201d Parker said.<\/p>\n

Wes, a Washington resident who wished to be identified by his first name only, citing fear of reprisal by the government, warned that the tensions around the issue could boil over.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are on edge. You got people that\u2019s scared to come out of their houses,\u201d Wes said outside the Columbia Heights metro station, which saw a heavy ICE presence earlier this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got people scared to walk the streets like they used to because of this show of force. We do not trust the police here at all. Now you bring somebody we don\u2019t know, that has no skills about you. They\u2019re not even from here<\/a>. They don\u2019t know how this city works.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that with people growing frustrated with excessive policing and cuts to social programmes, violence and riots could break out, and Trump would be to blame.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe thrives on chaos. And if there ain\u2019t no chaos, he creates chaos,\u201d Wes said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Washington, DC, United States \u2013 Outside Union Station in the US capital, bored-looking soldiers linger near two large armoured vehicles as commuters and tourists snap photos of the unusual scene. Inside the century-old transportation hub, a dozen National Guard soldiers pace the marble floors, appearing to be armed only with zip-tie handcuffs. Their presence did … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2348,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2347"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2347\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}