Vance suggests Washington National Guard mission could be extended by 30 days

Vice President JD Vance Over the past nine days, the National Guard has committed the crime in Washington and suggests that their mission may be extended by 30 days.

president Donald Trump On August 11, plans to deploy troops from the DC National Guard were announced and the Met Police Department federal government resolved crimes in Washington. And, so far, these efforts are paying off.

“We’re seeing very substantial impact because these guys are destroying their A-,” Vance said Wednesday during a meeting with the National Guard at Washington United Station.

National Guard from six red states travels to the District of Columbia to help resolve crimes

“Just at Union Station, you have homeless people, you have drug users, you have long-term homelessness, you have harassment, threatening violence, harassment that attacks the family,” Vance said. “They have been doing it for a long time. This should be a great monument to America.”

The Sovereignty Act of 1973 allows the federal government to temporarily take over the Metropolitan Police Department emergency situation for up to 30 days. However, after this time frame, Congress must intervene and sign any extensions. However, in the Domestic Rule Act, the District of Columbia National Guard forces do not have such restrictions.

Trump said on August 13 that the administration’s goal is to quickly reduce crime, but it marks “we want to expand.”

Asked if it was expanded on the table, Vance said Trump would reassess, depending on the progress in the coming weeks.

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Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth responded to protesters when protesters left after members of the National Guard at United Station in Washington on August 20, 2025. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

“We finally let the President of the United States determine our place in this emergency order. I think we will make a lot of progress over the next 20 days,” Vance said. “I think we’ve been in this for nine days. But if the President of the United States thinks he has to expand the order to ensure people have access to public safety, that’s exactly what he’s going to do. If he thinks he doesn’t have to, obviously we’ll make that decision.”

Meanwhile, Washington officials filed a lawsuit questioning the Trump administration’s actions on Friday’s local federal police.

Trump activates National Guard to resolve Washington’s “complete out of control” crime

President Donald Trump addressed the media to deploy federal law enforcement officers in Washington to strengthen the presence of local police. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

“By illegally announcing the takeover of the MPD, the government is abused its temporary, limited authority under the law,” Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb wrote in the X-Post Friday. “This is the worst threat DC has ever had to to its own rules and we are working to stop it.”

In addition to the Washington National Guard, National Guard About 1,300 people have arrived in the country’s capital from Ohio, West Virginia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee participated in the Trump administration’s crackdown in Washington.