National Guard mission in DC projected to cost $1.4 billion
Fox News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson reports on the National Guard’s impact on crime in Washington, D.C., on ‘Special Report.’
FIRST ON FOX: The Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force will mark its first anniversary Tuesday after making more than 16,000 arrests since its launch, Fox News Digital has learned exclusively, as the Trump administration points to the results of its sweeping crackdown on violent crime in the nation’s capital.
"Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners have delivered extraordinary results in our nation’s capital. More than 16,000 arrests, thousands of illegal drugs and firearms taken off the streets, and dangerous violent offenders brought to justice mean safer neighborhoods and lives protected," said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. "We will not relent until every community in Washington, D.C., is safe."
The task force launched Aug. 11, 2025, bringing federal, state and local law enforcement together after Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington, D.C. Trump also deployed National Guard troops, drawing criticism from Democratic officials.
DC MURDER RATE SEES ASTONISHING TURNAROUND AS TRUMP TEAM CREDITS FEDERAL CRACKDOWN
Members of the U.S. National Guard walk toward the D.C. Armory after President Donald Trump announced the federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department under the Home Rule Act and deployed the National Guard to assist with crime prevention in the nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 12, 2025. (Reuters/Annabelle Gordon)
The operation has led to the arrests of 35 homicide suspects and more than 100 known gang members, along with more than 3,200 narcotics arrests, nearly 2,000 illegal guns seized and 25 missing children located and returned home, according to a White House official.
"President Trump has transformed our nation’s capital from a crime-ridden city into a safe and beautiful haven for residents and visitors alike. The President’s Safe and Beautiful Task Force have made more than 16,000 arrests including murderers, sex offenders, drug traffickers, and other violent criminals," said White House spokesperson Lauren Bis.
"The Task Force has driven down crime, beautified the city, and improved quality of life for countless individuals," she added.
The operation followed the June 2025 killing of 21-year-old congressional intern Eric Tarpinian and a series of high-profile violent crimes, including the beating of a former DOGE staffer and the shooting death of a 14-year-old boy in a case involving MS-13 gang members.
The Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force launched in August 2025 with a mission to take violent criminals off the streets of the nation’s capital. President Donald Trump declared a crime emergency in D.C., and the federal law enforcement surge began shortly after. (U.S. Marshals Service)
"The men and women of the U.S. Marshals Service, along with our partners from so many federal and local agencies, have tirelessly worked to make D.C. safer for those who live here and for those who visit our nation's capital," said U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces Serralta.
"This operation shows the relentless dedication we have to investigate and apprehend the most violent, dangerous fugitives," Serralta added. "When law enforcement works together, the impact is exponential. The D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force is proof of that the whole-of-government approach works."
Last year, Trump increased the federal law enforcement presence in Washington, D.C., deploying hundreds of federal agents and National Guard troops to the streets to combat crime.
The decision drew pushback, with "No Kings" protests across the country and Democratic leaders saying the troops were not welcome.
DC GUARD SHOOTING SUSPECT STARES DOWN DEATH PENALTY IN FIRST COURT APPEARANCE
Members of the National Guard stand in front of a large image of President Donald Trump hanging from the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building on May 18, 2026. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Mayor Muriel Bowser previously slammed Trump for the move, saying, " I don’t think it’s legal, let me start there, for the National Guard to police Americans on American soil."
"We use the Guard to respond to emergencies. We use the Guard for large scale events. We do not use the Guard or to police our local laws," she said in October.
In November, two National Guard members were ambushed in downtown D.C. when 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal opened fire.
Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of the West Virginia National Guard, was shot in the head and died the following day, Thanksgiving. Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, then 24, was also shot in the head and critically injured but survived.
173 HOUSE DEMOCRATS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING POLICE AMID RISING ATTACKS
President Donald Trump visits the U.S. Park Police Anacostia Operations Facility in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 21, 2025. The Trump administration deployed federal officers and the National Guard to the District as part of its federal crime crackdown. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER
"The true impact of the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission is written not only in statistics, but the impact on our community. It is found in the courage of those who serve so that others could move through our nation’s capital with greater safety and peace," said Brigadier General Leland D. Blanchard II, Commanding General (Interim) of the District of Columbia National Guard.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
"Alongside the U.S. Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners, our Guardsmen have answered that call with discipline, compassion, and resolve. Sgt. Sarah Beckstrom gave the last full measure of devotion, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe endured a profound sacrifice in service to others. Their courage will forever be part of this mission’s legacy," Blanchard added. "We honor them by carrying the work forward -united in purpose, steadfast in service, and committed to protect the people of Washington, D.C."
