Former Vice President Mike Pence said on Sunday he “fully” supports President Donald Trump‘s decision to activate the National Guard in Washington, D.C., and federalize the local police force as part of the administration’s crackdown on crime.
CNN host Jake Tapper asked Pence about his thoughts on Trump’s recent deployment of the National Guard compared to 2021, when the president didn’t deploy troops to quell the Jan. 6 Capitol riot even though he had the authority to do so.
Describing Jan. 6 as “a tragic day,” Pence said he wished Trump “would have done more” at the time before pivoting back to the initial question.
“I welcome his decision to deploy the National Guard and essentially federalize the D.C. police department. I know that it’s all now working in a very cooperative way,” he said on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday morning.
“I think it’s important what the president is doing. I fully support it,” Trump’s former vice president continued. “And I think the American people welcome the president taking decisive action to ensure the streets of our nation’s capital are safe and also continue to provide resources across the country to make all of our cities and towns and communities safe.”
Pence’s comments come almost one week after Trump announced the federal government would spearhead an increased law enforcement presence in Washington. The move was met with cooperation from Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith, although Democratic lawmakers in Congress and the District of Columbia Council largely opposed Trump’s growing influence over the district’s affairs.
Democrats, including Bowser, have frequently cited data showing violent crime is at a 30-year low in Washington. However, a law enforcement expert believes the crime statistics are misleading because district police are manipulating the data to make it appear crime is lower when, in reality, it is not. The White House also argues “crime is out of control” in the blue city, warranting federal intervention.
OHIO AND SOUTH CAROLINA DEPLOY NATIONAL GUARD TO DC
Over 800 National Guard troops and some 850 federal agents have been mobilized in Washington since last week, with more personnel on the way.
South Carolina, West Virginia, and Ohio are each sending hundreds of National Guard members to the nation’s capital at the request of the Trump administration. The additional troops, totaling up to 750 people, are expected to arrive in the district in the coming days.