The Pentagon is planning to maintain the National Guard’s federal mission in Washington, D.C., through Jan. 20, 2029 — the end of President Donald Trump’s second term — according to two U.S. officials.
The plan is in its final stages and requires only Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s approval.
Both officials said they expect Hegseth to sign off on the plan, which was finalized late last year. Trump has repeatedly characterized the Guard’s mission in D.C. as a major success.
“There are no announcements to make at this time,” Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said in a statement to ABC News, adding that the Defense Department is “committed to supporting the President’s mission to address the epidemic of crime in our Nation’s capital.”
About 2,865 National Guard troops are currently deployed in D.C., according to National Guard data. Most are drawn from Republican-led states, with the exception of local D.C. Guard units.
The force includes contingents from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Oklahoma, with units rotating in and out of the district on staggered timelines. Some troops have maintained a near-continuous presence since last summer, while others — particularly those from out of state — cycle through shorter deployments, one official said.
The mission, dubbed “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful,” launched in August as part of a broader push by Trump to deploy Guard units to U.S. cities to assist law enforcement — a move that quickly drew legal and political scrutiny.
Troops were later withdrawn from cities like Los Angeles and Chicago after the U.S. Supreme Court determined the administration lacked sufficient justification for those deployments. In Washington, however, the Guard operates under a different legal framework that gives the president broader authority.
Guard troops have maintained a visible presence in high-traffic areas, including Metro stations, downtown corridors, and the National Mall. Most are armed with M17 pistols or M4 rifles.
In addition to security roles, troops have also taken on civic duties such as collecting trash, maintaining landscaping, and removing graffiti.
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