The move suggests Donald Trump is doubling down on his claimed crime emergency in the nation’s capital after the election.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the National Guard to begin using boats, several dozen marked police cars, humvees and light medium tactical vehicles in the nation’s capital — an escalation of the troops’ presence that could further blur the line between their military and law enforcement role.
It’s not clear why the Trump administration is making the move now. The Oct. 29 memo obtained by POLITICO detailing the expansion doesn’t provide any further details beyond doubling down on Trump’s plan to use the National Guard to crack down on what he’s called a “crime emergency”in the nation’s capital.
The beefed-up presence, which will be in place through the end of the year, would see members of the National Guard driving vehicles typically used by U.S. troops on battlefields like Iraq and Afghanistan on city streets to support law enforcement officers making drug busts, though they are not allowed to pursue suspects or make arrests.
I hope Democrats aren’t being lulled to sleep with how accepting Republicans have been so far. I know they’re aware they don’t really have wide public support anymore, but I don’t trust them at all. I’m not sure this is even an option, but I would want a contingent of state troopers to come with all of the Senator/House Rep elects to come with them on the 3rd. I would not for a second find it too hard to believe they could try to arrest them all. They will not just sleepwalk into life sentences