Trump Seeks Additional 500 National Guard Troops for Washington After Ambush Near White House
Move follows critical injuries to two West Virginia Guard members in what officials describe as a targeted attack steps from the presidential complex
President Donald Trump has requested the deployment of an additional five hundred National Guard personnel to Washington, D.C., after two Guard members were critically wounded in a shooting just blocks from the White House.
The move comes as federal and local authorities intensify their investigation into what law enforcement has described as an ambush carried out by a lone gunman near the Farragut West Metro station on Wednesday afternoon.
Both injured service members belong to the West Virginia National Guard and were on duty as part of the federal crime-reduction mission that has positioned more than two thousand Guard troops across the capital since August.
Witnesses said the attacker rounded a corner and opened fire without warning before other Guard members intervened, subdued the suspect and secured the scene.
The shooter was also wounded and remains in critical condition under guard.
In remarks delivered hours after the incident, Trump condemned the shooting as a violent act against the nation’s defenders and instructed the Pentagon to reinforce the mission already underway.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the request had been received and would be executed rapidly, calling the attack a “cowardly act” that only strengthened the administration’s resolve to maintain order in the capital.
The decision to expand the deployment comes amid an ongoing legal dispute over the president’s authority to station the National Guard in Washington for extended periods.
Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that the long-running deployment exceeded statutory limits, but implementation of that ruling has been paused while the administration appeals.
City officials have argued the Guard’s law-enforcement role conflicts with long-standing restrictions on military activity within the United States, while the administration maintains the deployment is lawful and necessary to protect public safety.
With additional troops set to reinforce patrols throughout the city, the federal government has pledged to keep security tightened while investigators continue to determine the motive behind the shooting and monitor the health of the wounded service members.
The move comes as federal and local authorities intensify their investigation into what law enforcement has described as an ambush carried out by a lone gunman near the Farragut West Metro station on Wednesday afternoon.
Both injured service members belong to the West Virginia National Guard and were on duty as part of the federal crime-reduction mission that has positioned more than two thousand Guard troops across the capital since August.
Witnesses said the attacker rounded a corner and opened fire without warning before other Guard members intervened, subdued the suspect and secured the scene.
The shooter was also wounded and remains in critical condition under guard.
In remarks delivered hours after the incident, Trump condemned the shooting as a violent act against the nation’s defenders and instructed the Pentagon to reinforce the mission already underway.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the request had been received and would be executed rapidly, calling the attack a “cowardly act” that only strengthened the administration’s resolve to maintain order in the capital.
The decision to expand the deployment comes amid an ongoing legal dispute over the president’s authority to station the National Guard in Washington for extended periods.
Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that the long-running deployment exceeded statutory limits, but implementation of that ruling has been paused while the administration appeals.
City officials have argued the Guard’s law-enforcement role conflicts with long-standing restrictions on military activity within the United States, while the administration maintains the deployment is lawful and necessary to protect public safety.
With additional troops set to reinforce patrols throughout the city, the federal government has pledged to keep security tightened while investigators continue to determine the motive behind the shooting and monitor the health of the wounded service members.
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