Protests Erupt in Washington After Trump Sends National Guard

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Washington on Aug. 16 after President Donald Trump ordered the federalization of the city’s police department and sent National Guard units to the capital. Protesters assembled in Dupont Circle before marching to the White House, chanting “Trump Must Go,” “Free D.C.” and demanding that the Guard leave. Crowds later surrounded troops on the National Mall as the rallies, which organizers said were aimed at “saving the Constitution,” stretched into the evening. The standoff persisted into the following week. On Aug. 20, Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Guard personnel stationed at Union Station, offering them food and thanking them for what Vance called their “hard work.” As the officials met the troops, protesters outside continued to call for the Guard’s withdrawal, underscoring the tension that has followed the administration’s decision to place federal forces on the streets of the capital.