Raskin: Trump’s National Guard DC deployment is ‘recipe for chaos’

Desmond Milligan · August 19

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) on Monday said President Trump’s crackdown on crime in Washington using the National Guard is “a recipe for chaos.”

“Now they’re mobilizing the National Guard, they’re bringing the National Guard in from South Carolina, from Ohio, from West Virginia, from all these states, why?” Raskin, whose congressional district borders the District, said on MSNBC’s “The Weeknight.”

“And what’s the precedent for that? I’m not even sure what the authority for that is, under whose direction are they serving? Are they being directed by the governors of those states or are they under President Trump’s direction now?” Raskin added.

“But does that mean they’ve been federalized, because I don’t believe they’ve been federalized. So, this is just a recipe for chaos, and if this is the template for what he wants to do in all of these other so-called ‘Democrat-run cities,’ it is a recipe for chaos.”

Trump last week declared a “crime emergency” in D.C., mobilizing 800 members of the National Guard, taking control of the city’s police department and sending federal agents to patrol the streets, despite a drop in crime since 2023.

Multiple states with Republican governors are sending National Guard troops to the District to participate in Trump’s crime crackdown. About 1,100 members of National Guard units based in six states had been announced by Tuesday morning, with multiple governors stating that the federal government is financially supporting their assistance and that the Trump administration asked for reinforcements.

Dan Tierney, deputy director of media relations for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), said in an email to The Hill that “Ohio has traditionally helped the District of Columbia, Ohio mayors, and other states when they request assistance from the Ohio National Guard or the Ohio State Highway Patrol.”

“Ohio has provided National Guard before to assist the District of Columbia with the inaugurations of both Donald Trump (R) and Joe Biden (D) as well as during the George Floyd protests,” Tierney added.

The Hill has reached out to West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s (R) and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s (R) offices and the White House for comment.

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