Pinto pushes for National Guard withdrawal as Hegseth approves boat, military vehicle use

November 9, 2026 Clara Wilson

The National Guard has been a visible presence on the streets of D.C. since President Donald Trump declared a crime emergency last August.

For the most part, you see guard troops on foot, but that could soon change.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the Guard to begin using boats, marked police cars and military vehicles such as Humvees. The Oct. 29 memo outlining the plan was first reported by Politico.

“We should not be having National Guards from states across the country engage in this type of policing effort,” said D.C. Council Public Safety Committee Chair Brooke Pinto. “It is an anathema to public safety. It’s undermining our goals, and it’s un-American.”

Pinto is calling on newly elected Democratic governors who flipped red states blue to pull out their troops when they take office. These include Nevada, Texas, Iowa, Ohio and Georgia.

“It’s a really meaningful way that they can help stand up for our city and our autonomy and also for their own troops and their own states, who should have their own National Guard at home,” Pinto said.

The Guard will use 60 marked military police cars, as well as light towers. No specific reason was given for the uptick in resources. The memo suggests the troops will play a greater role in anti-gang and drug trafficking operations.

Emily Cassometus, an assistant professor of law at the University of the District of Columbia, said the timing is concerning.

“I think this is a clear escalation,” she said. “It concerns me that this is happening right after the election on Tuesday, that they would bring higher levels of weaponry into the District.”

According to a statement from the group Free DC, “This is the act of an unpopular regime that is losing power by the minute and is desperate to avoid accountability. After 451 days of occupation, we know these soldiers are in DC to protect the Trump regime, no one else.”

Pinto also is calling on Democrats in Congress to conduct more rigorous oversight of the increased federal police presence once they take over the majority in January.

How many National Guard troops are in DC now?

Joint Task Force-District of Columbia has 3,098 members as of early Friday. This includes 757 members of the D.C. National Guard plus 2,341 out-of-District members from the following states, plus Puerto Rico: