President Donald Trump announced that he will accompany law enforcement officers and National Guard troops on a nightly patrol of Washington, D.C.’s, streets Thursday night.
During an interview with Memphis-based radio host Todd Starnes, Trump touted his efforts in addressing crime in the district.
“I’m going to be going out tonight, I think, with the police and with the military, of course. So we’re going to do a job,” Trump declared. “The National Guard is great. They’ve done a fantastic job.”
The White House did not answer questions about the timing and length of Trump’s patrol through the district. Officials said they would provide details as soon as possible.
Trump and top administration officials have touted the hundreds of arrests made in the district since the president federalized the Metropolitan Police Department and deployed the National Guard earlier this month. Vice President JD Vance made his own appearance at Union Station on Wednesday, during which protesters booed him as he and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked troops.
Trump is no stranger to tense photo ops with law enforcement assets.
In 2020, during his first term, U.S. Park Police and other law enforcement officers forcibly cleared protesters from Lafayette Square so Trump and top aides could walk two blocks from the White House and take photos outside the nearby St. John’s Church.
WHITE HOUSE PRESSING TOWARD PUTIN-ZELENSKY BILATERAL DESPITE KREMLIN’S SILENCE
Reactions to Trump’s crime push have been mixed. A Rasmussen Poll published Wednesday found a majority of respondents supported Trump’s actions, with 50% believing his federal takeover will reduce violent crime in the district.
However, 79% of the 604 district residents polled by the Washington Post earlier this week opposed Trump’s actions.