Headline Roundup • August 17th, 2025
West Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio to Deploy National Guard Troops to DC
Summary from the AllSides News Team
South Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia said they would deploy several hundred National Guard troops to Washington, DC, in the coming days as part of the Trump administration’s law enforcement takeover.
The Details: West Virginia aims to send 300 to 400 soldiers, South Carolina pledged 200, and Ohio said it will deploy 150. The Republican governors of the three states said their moves come at the request of the Trump administration.
For Context: The Trump administration assumed control over the district on August 11 after President Trump said he would ramp up efforts to fight crime and homelessness in the city. The takeover has seen FBI agents and National Guard units deployed to the street, setting up checkpoints and other operations. Trump and his administration have framed DC as plagued by crime, though commentators across the spectrum have debated whether the increased efforts are warranted or not.
Key Quotes: West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said, “West Virginia is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation’s capital.” Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said none of the military police officers being sent from Ohio are “currently serving as law enforcement officers in the state.” DC Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote on X, “American soldiers and airmen policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican.”
How The Media Covered It: Media across the spectrum noted in headlines that troops being sent are from Republican-led states. Associated Press (Left bias) and some other outlets from the left framed the uptick in soldiers as coming amid protests against Trump’s takeovers. Reuters (Center) wrote in its opening that Trump “has portrayed the city as awash in crime.” Fox News (Right) included at the end of its coverage that Attorney General Pam Bondi said there have been 200 arrests made since the Trump administration took over law enforcement.
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AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
Three Republican-led states said Saturday that they were deploying hundreds of National Guard members to the nation’s capital to bolster the Trump administration’s effort to overhaul policing in Washington through a federal crackdown on crime and homelessness.
West Virginia said it was deploying 300 to 400 Guard troops, while South Carolina pledged 200 and Ohio says it will send 150 in the coming days, marking a significant escalation of the federal intervention.
The Republican governors of three states are deploying hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., at the request of the administration of President Donald Trump, who has portrayed the city as awash in crime.
The announcements on Saturday of troops from hundreds of miles away in West Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio came a day after D.C. officials and the Trump administration negotiated a deal to keep Mayor Muriel Bowser's appointed police chief, Pamela Smith, in charge of the police department after D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit to...
West Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio governors on Saturday announced they will deploy their National Guard troops to the nation's capital to support President Donald Trump’s initiative to restore cleanliness and public safety to Washington, D.C.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey committed to sending 300 to 400 guardsmen and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said he would send 200 guardsmen.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he will deploy 150 troops, according to a report from the Associated Press.
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