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National Guard Deployment Costs $1.4B, Reuters Finds Minimal Criminal Impact

8/19/2026

Summary

Story summary

The United States deployed 4,500 National Guard soldiers to Washington, D.C., costing $1.65 million per day and $1.4 billion through President Donald Trump’s 2029 term.
Reuters found Guard involvement in only 217 criminal cases (1.3 % of filings), mostly offenses like shoplifting, in neighborhoods and not in areas responsible for 82 % of murders.
Gen. Randy Manner said the soldiers are ill-prepared and costlier than hiring officers, while Mayor Muriel Bowser called deployment problematic.

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Story summary

The United States deployed 4,500 National Guard soldiers to Washington, D.C., costing $1.65 million per day and $1.4 billion through President Donald Trump’s 2029 term.
Reuters found Guard involvement in only 217 criminal cases (1.3 % of filings), mostly offenses like shoplifting, in neighborhoods and not in areas responsible for 82 % of murders.
Gen. Randy Manner said the soldiers are ill-prepared and costlier than hiring officers, while Mayor Muriel Bowser called deployment problematic.