The Republican president is proudly promoting the work of roughly 2,000 National Guard troops in the city, loaned by allied governors from at least six Republican-led states. They're in place to confront what Trump describes as an out-of-control crime wave in the Democratic-run city, though violent crime in Washington, like dozens of cities led by Democrats, has been down significantly since a pandemic high.
Recent actions by the Trump Administration, including the deployment of troops and a military parade, threaten to politicize America's military and jeopardize civil-military relations. President Trump has publicly criticized Democratic politicians during a speech at Fort Bragg, urging an audience to boo his opponents, which creates an impression of the military serving partisan interests.