US President Donald Trump declared today during a radio interview that he will patrol the streets of Washington DC this evening, along with police and military forces, following his decision last week to deploy National Guard troops to the capital.
"I'm going to take to the streets tonight, I think, with the police and certainly with the military," Trump said on Newsmax journalist Todd Starnes' radio show.
A White House official announced that details of Trump's plan are expected to be released soon.
The deployment of thousands of National Guard troops and federal agents to Washington was made in an unusual move that exploits presidential powers. Trump justified the decision by citing a "wave of violent crimes" in the city.
However, local officials have rejected this claim, stating that federal and city data show a significant decline in violent crime, following a sharp increase during 2023.
In a parallel development, Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited the troops yesterday at Union Station, Washington's central rail station. The visit was accompanied by protests, where citizens were greeted with whistles and opposing calls.
Trump has not yet announced the timing or possible route of his patrol, but his statement has sparked strong debates among supporters and political opponents, at a time when public safety has become a top topic on the eve of the presidential election.