Whitmer warns Michigan Guard could be pulled from D.C. mission
Whitmer said Michigan will pull its 161 Guard members from Washington if they are diverted from America 250 into Trump’s crime patrols.
Michigan has 161 Guard members in Washington, and Gretchen Whitmer warned that Michigan will pull them out of the city if they are shifted from the “narrow and limited America 250 Mission” into the federal “D.C. Safe and Beautiful Mission.” Whitmer’s move places Michigan alongside three other Democratic-led states that sent Guard personnel to Washington for the tourism surge around America 250, not for law enforcement.
Kentucky, Minnesota and North Carolina also contributed troops, and all four states have opposed Trump’s deployment in Washington and filed an amicus brief in litigation challenging it as recently as May. Kentucky recalled its lone Guardsman after that service member was diverted to the federal task force without Gov. Andy Beshear’s knowledge or consent.
The president declared a crime emergency in Washington on Aug. 11, 2025. About 800 Guard members were activated on Title 32 status for the Safe and Beautiful Task Force, with roughly 200 on the streets at a time. By June 25, 2026, Joint Task Force D.C. assigned 4,629 National Guard personnel to the District, up from roughly 2,500 in April and nearing the administration’s goal of 5,000. Only 584 of those troops were from the D.C. National Guard; the rest came from 23 states and territories.
NPR estimated the cost at upwards of $2.8 million a day. The surge is meant to secure America 250 events, national parklands and monuments and make Washington “the safest city in America.” Violent crime in the city had already been trending down, and the mayor said violent crime was at a 30-year low.
The Great American State Fair on the National Mall began June 26 and is expected to draw millions of tourists. As many as 1,500 more Guard members could be added this summer, with duties ranging from monument security and traffic control to perimeter control, logistical support and crowd management. Michigan troops were also seen patrolling the Georgetown waterfront, more than a mile from the official America 250 events.
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