President Donald Trump plans to personally patrol the streets of Washington, D.C., alongside law enforcement and military personnel.
He shared the plans during an interview with conservative radio host Todd Starnes on Thursday, Aug. 21, just days after announcing a federal takeover of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department and deploying National Guard troops in an effort to curb crime.
“I’m going to be going out tonight, I’m gonna keep it a secret. But I’m gonna go, you’re the only one that knows – you and your lots of listeners,” Trump told Starnes.
“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. The National Guard is great. They’ve done a fantastic job,” he added.
A spokesperson from the Joint Task Force, District of Columbia, directed PEOPLE to the U.S. Secret Service regarding questions about the president’s Thursday night visit. PEOPLE also reached out to the Secret Service for comment.
During a news conference on Monday, Aug. 11, Trump announced the federal intervention in D.C., saying, “Today we’re formally declaring a public safety emergency.”
“It’s embarrassing for me to be up here. I don’t like being up here talking about how unsafe and how dirty and disgusting this once-beautiful capital was,” he said.
Since that announcement, troops have been deployed across the city, resulting in increased arrests. Protests have erupted in response to ICE checkpoints and expanded curfew zones for minors.
Amid the turmoil, the administration has highlighted the operation on social media. The official ICE account on X shared images of officers stopping vehicles and making arrests, captioned, “When a city fails, we will answer the call.”
The Department of Defense has also emphasized its presence in the capital, posting photos of Humvees and armed guards patrolling the streets. Their statement read, “President Trump activated the D.C. National Guard under Title 32 to assist Federal and Washington D.C. law enforcement within the nation’s capital. Safe to say: THE DOD HAS RESPONDED.”
This month, a resolution was introduced in Congress that could allow Trump to extend federal control over the police department beyond the initial 30-day period.
However, the move has faced criticism from local officials. “American soldiers and airmen policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican,” Washington D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote on X on Saturday, Aug. 16, shortly after the president’s initial announcement.
