D.C. Guard Administered Naloxone 325 Times as $1 Billion Trump Deployment Enters Year 2
Updated
Updated · The Atlantic · Aug 23
D.C. Guard Administered Naloxone 325 Times as $1 Billion Trump Deployment Enters Year 2
1 articles · Updated · The Atlantic · Aug 23
Summary
Guardsmen in Washington have administered naloxone 325 times, with one soldier calling overdose response “the main thing” he has done during the deployment.
The figure underscores how limited the Guard’s policing role has been: troops cannot independently search or arrest, and Reuters found they appeared in just 1.3% of D.C. criminal cases over the past year.
Trump has kept roughly 800 to 5,000 troops and federal agents in the city since last August, and the Pentagon plans to maintain the Guard presence through January 2029 at a cost of more than $1 billion.
Crime has fallen in D.C., but studies cited in the report found no measurable effect on violent crime from the Guard deployment, though one analysis estimated a roughly 25% drop in petty property crime.
The long-running federal presence has become a broader fight over presidential power in a city with limited self-rule, where courts, activists and local officials have struggled to curb the deployment.
With billions spent and troops often seen idle, is the massive federal security surge actually protecting the capital or just draining resources?
As high-speed federal chases skyrocket and claim civilian lives, does this aggressive policing strategy create more danger than it prevents?
One Year, $3 Billion, and 4,700 Troops: The Cost, Consequences, and Controversy of Washington, D.C.’s National Guard Occupation
Overview
After an attempted carjacking in August 2025, President Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., launching a large-scale National Guard deployment that quickly expanded during the 250th anniversary celebrations. The administration bypassed local consent, using D.C.'s unique constitutional status to station thousands of troops, diverting military funds and harming readiness. Despite a federal judge ruling the deployment unlawful, appeals allowed it to continue. Troops focused on tourist areas, administering Narcan and performing non-military tasks, while high-crime neighborhoods felt neglected. The costly operation replaced community programs, sparked legal battles, and set a controversial precedent for federal intervention in U.S. cities.