National Guard members report feeling exploited by D.C. deployment

National Guard members deployed to Washington, D.C., under the “D.C. Safe and Beautiful” mission have expressed feelings of embarrassment and exploitation, according to reports from NPR and PBS News. The deployment, which began in August 2025 following a declared national emergency over crime, has become President Donald Trump’s longest and largest domestic military deployment to date.

Soldiers speaking anonymously reported that the initial justification for the mission—addressing a crime emergency—is questionable, noting that the city's violent crime rate had recently reached a 30-year low. Some troops described the mission as feeling like a “political stunt” or an “authoritarian move.”

Early in the deployment, personnel were tasked with landscaping and trash collection, which some volunteers found disappointing. They have since been transitioned to “presence patrols” intended to deter crime through visibility. As of early August, the deployment has cost at least $660 million. Soldiers expressed concerns that the prolonged presence is damaging public trust in the National Guard and undermining democratic norms.