President Donald Trump has declared a public-safety emergency in Washington, temporarily placed the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and ordered an initial deployment of about 800 National Guard troops and more than 450 federal law-enforcement officers. Governors of West Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio—responding to White House requests—are sending a further 700-plus Guard members, a rotation that Defense officials say could lift the total Guard presence to roughly 1,176 personnel in the coming days. Attorney General Pam Bondi has installed Drug Enforcement Administration Director Terry Cole as interim police commissioner and is leading the multi-agency crackdown, branded “Make DC Safe and Beautiful.” The operation targets violent crime, illegal firearms and homeless encampments. Troops remain unarmed for now, but the Pentagon says that status could change if mission orders are expanded. Bondi said authorities arrested 68 people and seized 15 illegal guns on Saturday night, bringing the tally since the Aug. 7 launch of the operation to more than 300 arrests. A White House official added that at least 38 firearms and over 70 encampments have been cleared in the past ten days, and that some of those detained include homicide suspects and undocumented gang members. The show of federal force has prompted sharp pushback. Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen and Chris Murphy argue the deployment is unnecessary given declining violent-crime statistics, and local activists staged weekend protests near the National Mall and outside the White House. Business owners reported thinner crowds in nightlife districts, raising fears the heightened security presence could dent the city’s hospitality sector. Republican allies have rallied behind the move. Former Vice President Mike Pence said he “fully supports” the National Guard deployment, while GOP governors framed their troop contributions as necessary to restore order. A federal judge has already limited parts of the takeover, but the administration says it may seek congressional approval to extend federal control of the police beyond the current 30-day window.