West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said on Saturday he is deploying between 300 and 400 members of the state’s National Guard to Washington, D.C., at the request of the Trump administration. The contingent, to be funded by the federal government under Title 32, will bring mission-essential equipment and specialized training and operate alongside the District’s existing National Guard and federal law-enforcement agencies. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster quickly followed with authority for 200 Guardsmen, while Ohio Governor Mike DeWine plans to send 150 military police in the coming days, according to the National Guard Bureau. The additional forces deepen President Donald Trump’s “D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force,” launched after he invoked emergency powers on Monday to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department and activate about 800 D.C. Guard personnel. The White House says the influx of troops will deter crime and homelessness and protect federal assets. District officials counter that violent crime hit a three-decade low in 2024 and have sued to curb the federal takeover, although a compromise announced Friday keeps Police Chief Pamela Smith nominally in command. U.S. officials said a formal order authorizing Guard troops to carry sidearms is expected, underscoring the widening scope of federal intervention in the nation’s capital.