President Trump intends to send an additional 500 National Guard personnel to Washington after two Guard members were wounded several blocks from the White House on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. He noted that the request has already been received and “we will move swiftly to execute.” The National Guard deployment in the capital—initially aimed at curbing rising crime—has now been in place for about four months, with no clear timeline for withdrawal. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb, who is challenging the legality of the mission, said in a recent court filing that the Guard’s presence will likely remain at least through the summer of 2026. The White House has not disclosed how long it intends to maintain the operation.
Trump deployed the National Guard in August as part of a federal crackdown on crime. According to the latest figures, nearly 2,200 Guard members remain in the city, down from a peak of 2,500. Several hundred troops arrived from Republican-led states, including 180 from West Virginia. Polls show most Americans oppose the deployment, but the Trump administration in August disregarded objections to what amounted to federal control over the capital. The president has repeatedly threatened to declare a state of emergency in the district to prolong the troop presence. The Posse Comitatus Act, in force since 1878, sharply restricts the military’s role in domestic law enforcement.
In September, Schwalb filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the National Guard mission, arguing that Trump had unlawfully used military personnel to perform duties belonging to local police. This month, federal judge Jia Cobb ruled the deployment illegal but suspended enforcement of the decision until December 11 to allow time for an appeal. Following the shooting, the Trump administration submitted an emergency petition to the appellate court to block the ruling, insisting the deployment is “clearly lawful,” since the commander-in-chief’s authority allows the president to send National Guard forces to the capital even without explicit approval. In September, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered the “maximum level of coordination permitted by law” with federal authorities and, according to internal correspondence, urged Schwalb to delay filing the lawsuit.
A suspect was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the attack that left two Guard members wounded near the White House. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey initially said on X that both service members had died, but twenty minutes later clarified that he was receiving “conflicting reports” about their condition. Trump wrote on Truth Social that the alleged gunman was also “severely wounded” and “will face very serious punishment.” The investigation is being led by the FBI under Director Kash Patel.