National Guard troops have started showing up in the nation’s capital after President Trump activated them to patrol Washington’s streets, arguing that crime has gotten out of control. The District of Columbia Army National Guard began patrolling the streets on Tuesday and a group of service members met with Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll.

Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, who has denied crime is out of control in her city, described the troop deployment as an "authoritarian push". Trump, a Republican, has also threatened similar deployments against New York and Chicago, two other Democratic-controlled cities.

Mayor Muriel Bowser sought to reassure residents in the nation's capital, adding that the National Guard deployment was unnecessary.