The Department of Justice is firing back at the Washington, D.C., Council over its politically charged effort to pressure governors into pulling National Guard troops out of the nation’s capital, dismissing the campaign as little more than “impotent theatrics.”
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald delivered the rebuke in a blistering letter responding to council members who have sought to remove the Guard despite what he described as historic improvements in public safety.
“I am not surprised that your recent letter to state governors regarding the National Guard feigns ignorance of the historic public safety strides made in our Nation’s capital since August 11, 2025,” McDonald wrote.
President Donald Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington on Aug. 11, 2025, and McDonald argued that the National Guard and accompanying Task Force have since helped produce a dramatic turnaround in the city.
The DOJ official also highlighted past comments from D.C. Councilmember Trayon White, who signed the letter calling for the Guard’s removal. White described Washington as a “war zone” in 2023 while complaining that communities lacked sufficient officers and resources.
Now, according to McDonald, council members are attempting to push out forces that have helped address the very problems they previously complained about.
McDonald said Washington has experienced the largest reduction in violent crime in its history since the deployment. National Guard troops have assisted in removing illegal firearms from the streets, conducting thousands of arrests, protecting critical infrastructure and intervening during assaults. Troops have also administered life-saving Narcan to people in danger.
McDonald praised the service members as “true American heroes,” arguing that they have worked selflessly to restore order while local politicians focus on opposing their presence.
The deployment has also come at a deadly cost.
On Nov. 26, 2025, two West Virginia National Guard members deployed in Washington were shot in an ambush-style attack outside the Farragut West Metro station, just two blocks from the White House.
U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries on Thanksgiving Day. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was critically wounded but survived.
Authorities arrested Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021. He was charged with first-degree murder, assault with intent to kill and firearm offenses. Lakanwal pleaded not guilty.
McDonald also made clear that the D.C. Council does not have the authority to force the National Guard out by demanding that governors recall their troops.
Rather than attacking the Guard, McDonald argued that council members should turn their attention toward changing the city’s laws and ensuring criminals face punishment.
He concluded his response with a pointed offer to help lawmakers do just that.
“My office is available to assist you in this regard,” McDonald wrote.
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