South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced Saturday that he’s sending 200 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. to help “restore law and order” following the ongoing federal crackdown on crime in the nation’s capital. McMaster stated, “I’ve authorized the deployment of 200 S.C. National Guardsmen to support Trump in his mission to restore law and order to our nation’s capital. The federal government will pay for this deployment under Title 32.”
He made clear that if South Carolina is threatened by a natural disaster, those troops will return immediately. “Our National Guard will work to assist President Trump’s mission, and should a hurricane or natural disaster threaten our state, they can and will be immediately recalled home to respond.”
This move follows West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey’s decision to deploy up to 400 troops from his state to D.C. The deployments come after President Trump used the Home Rule Act to take federal control of Washington’s police force. Eight hundred federal agents and National Guard soldiers are now patrolling the city.
The Department of Justice initially appointed DEA chief Terry Cole as “emergency police commissioner,” drawing strong criticism. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit, and after a federal judge raised concerns, the DOJ agreed to withdraw the appointment.
Mayor Muriel Bowser addressed resident unrest, stating, “It has been an unsettling and unprecedented week in our city… Our limited self-government has never faced the type of test we are facing right now.”
Tensions continue to rise as the situation evolves.
