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Armed troops patrol Washington, DC

Armed National Guard troops patrol the Washington Monument at sunset as the Capitol stands in the background, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on August 26, 2025. US. President Donald Trump cited the false claim that violent crime is at an all-time high in the nation's capital to justify deployment, but critics claim the troops are in high-profile tourist areas where crime is highly unlikely. Violent crime in D.C. has dropped 26% in 2025, reaching a 30-year low. (Photo by Allison Bailey/NurPhoto)

Photo ID	#12679792
Date Taken	26 August 2025
Location	N/A
Photographer	Allison Bailey/NurPhoto
Category	Politics
Copyright	© 2026 NurPhoto - Allison Bailey/NurPhoto

Capitol troops National Guard patrol Washington Monument National Mall tourist areas guns armed automatic rifle long guns Donald Trump Trump President crime violent crime homeless homelessness relocation move unhoused people population law enforcement police federal officers feds deploy deployment agencies claim claims wrong incorrect inaccurate Washington DC District of Columbia United States US USA Armed National Guard Washington Monument Capitol Washington D.C. August 26 2025 President Donald Trump false claim violent crime all-time high deployment critics high-profile tourist areas crime unlikely violent crime drop 26% decrease 2025 30-year low Allison Bailey NurPhoto patrol sunset national capital security justification tourist safety military presence public perception crime statistics law enforcement political decision media coverage urban safety government action.