National Guard deployment in DC to cost $1.4 billion through Trump's term
National Guard’s deployment is expected to continue through 2029.
The National Guard's ongoing mission in Washington, D.C., is projected to cost another $1.4 billion through the remainder of the Trump administration, according to Defense Department estimates provided to Congress and reviewed by ABC News.
The projection assumes the deployment in the nation's capital hovers around roughly 2,500 troops. There are currently 4,600 Guardsmen deployed in Washington, D.C., including roughly 2,000 additional troops temporarily sent to the city, with many coming from Republican-led states such as South Carolina, West Virginia and Georgia.
This is the first time the administration has provided an account of the costs of the National Guard’s mission in D.C. Previously, the Congressional Budget Office estimated its deployment in D.C. costs about $55 million per month, accounting for just under 3,000 troops.
ABC News first reported in March that the National Guard’s deployment is expected to continue through 2029.
The deployment has become a growing strain on Pentagon finances, particularly for the Army, which is grappling with a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall that officials say has been exacerbated by the prolonged mission, ABC News also first reported.
The National Guard recently signed a $292 million contract for some 2,000 apartment units for troops. Brig Gen. Leland Blanchard on Monday told reporters that it’s estimated to save some $90 million in hotel costs previously used to house troops in D.C.
The National Guard's mission, dubbed "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful," launched in August 2025 as part of a broader push by President Donald Trump to flood U.S. cities with guardsmen to assist law enforcement. This move quickly drew legal and political scrutiny.
Troops were ultimately pulled back from some cities, including Los Angeles and Chicago, after the Supreme Court determined the administration lacked sufficient justification for the deployments. But in D.C., the Guard operates under a distinct framework that grants the president broader latitude.
The National Guard is a visible presence in the city's corridors, patrolling Metro rail stations, downtown D.C. and the National Mall. Most are armed with M17 pistols or M4 rifles. However, troops have very limited legal authority, as they are unable to make arrests.
In November, a gunman ambushed National Guard troops just blocks from the White House. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died of her injuries on Nov. 26, the day before Thanksgiving. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe suffered a gunshot wound to the head and remains in recovery.
Guardsmen are also carrying out civic duties like picking up trash, tending to landscaping and scrubbing graffiti. Some argue that troops being in safe areas have allowed more police to operate in parts of the city with heavier crime.
Blanchard also outlined that the Guard has intervened in hundreds of medical emergencies, including administering some 325 Narcan doses. But deploying troops is estimated to be significantly more expensive than law enforcement or other civil workers.
An analysis from the Niskanen Center, a Washington policy think tank, found the cost differential between troops and local law enforcement was roughly $607 per Guardsman per day compared to about $384 per day for a D.C. police officer.
The report also noted that the National Guard’s presence in D.C. has not reduced violent crime but has coincided with a decline in property crimes.
Local police data shows violent crime in Washington, D.C. had been falling since before the National Guard's deployment, down 29% in 2025, following a decline of 35% in 2024.
The National Guard can be used for civil missions but is primarily built as a force to deploy abroad for combat missions. Some 15,000 Guard troops are currently on missions overseas, defense data shows, including in the Middle East for the ongoing war with Iran.
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