DC Council Asks New Governors to Pull 628 National Guard Troops from Capital

The DC Council is asking five incoming Democratic governors to pull their states' National Guard troops out of Washington on their first day in office, escalating the long-running fight over the federal deployment in the capital. Councilmember Brooke Pinto said at a hearing on Thursday, November 5, 2026, that she will send a letter on behalf of the council urging the governors-elect of Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas to withdraw their troops as soon as they take office. The five states account for 628 Guard members in Washington, according to a November 2 tally by Joint Task Force-District of Columbia. About 3,100 National Guard members remain deployed in the city more than a year after President Donald Trump ordered the mobilisation.

Key Points

• DC Councilmember Brooke Pinto said on Thursday, November 5, 2026, she will send a letter on behalf of the council urging five governors-elect to withdraw their National Guard troops from Washington on day one.
• The five states — Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas — account for 628 Guard members in the capital: Georgia 514, Iowa 110, Ohio 2, Nevada 1 and Texas 1, in a November 2 tally.
• About 3,100 National Guard members remain deployed in Washington after President Donald Trump ordered the mobilisation in August 2025 following a declared crime emergency.
• Pinto said: "We should not be having National Guards from states across the country engage in this type of policing effort."
• The push follows Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's October 29 memos authorising Guard troops in DC to use boats, marked police cars and military vehicles, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates the deployment costs about $55 million a month.

What Happened

Pinto made the announcement at a DC Council hearing on Thursday, November 5, 2026, two days after the midterm elections swept Democrats into the governor's offices in Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas. She said the council will write to each of the five governors-elect asking them to order their troops home immediately when they take office,

The council has no power to order the troops out itself. National Guard units deployed in Washington operate under federal authority, and only the governors who sent them — or the federal government — can recall them. Pinto's letter is therefore a political appeal, not a legal order.

Background and Context

President Donald Trump ordered National Guard troops into Washington in August 2025, after declaring a crime emergency in the capital. The mobilisation began with troops from the District itself and then drew in units from Republican-led states. The White House presented it as a response to violent crime. Critics in the city government and in Congress have argued from the start that it was unnecessary, pointing to falling crime figures, and that using soldiers for street policing sets a dangerous precedent.

In late October, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth issued memos authorising Guard troops in DC to use boats, marked police cars and military vehicles. The deployment is now slated to run through January 2029 and the Congressional Budget Office estimates it costs about $55 million a month. The November 3 midterms changed the politics: Democrats won the governor's races in all five states.

DC National Guard Withdrawal: What the Letter Asks

The letter Pinto plans to send is simple in its demand: withdraw the troops on day one. The council's argument is that the troops should never have been sent to police another jurisdiction's streets, and that the new governors have both the authority and the responsibility to end their states' part in it as soon as they take office.

Whether the governors will act is far from certain. A governor-elect takes office weeks after the election, and each will face competing pressures: loyalty to their own party's voters, who largely oppose the deployment, and the practical reality that recalling troops is a direct confrontation with the Trump administration. The White House has not said how it would respond. Even if all five act, roughly 2,500 Guard members would remain in Washington.

Reactions and Quotes

Pinto was blunt about why the council is acting. "We should not be having National Guards from states across the country engage in this type of policing effort," she said at the hearing, calling it a misuse of soldiers for ordinary law enforcement.

The governors-elect have not yet responded publicly to the council's planned letter, and neither has the Trump administration. Their responses, when they come, will show how far the new Democratic governors are prepared to go in confronting the administration in their first days.

Why It Matters

The DC Council's letter matters because it turns a federal decision into a state-by-state question. If even one governor pulls troops out on day one, it would be the first crack in a deployment the White House has presented as settled policy running through 2029. If all five act, more than 600 troops would leave at once.

It is also a test of the new Democratic governors. For Washington, the letter is the latest chapter in a fight over who governs a capital with no voting representation in Congress.

What Happens Next

Pinto is expected to send the letter to the five governors-elect in the coming days. Their offices will then have weeks to decide before the inaugurations, and the first public responses are likely to come as the new governors set out their early priorities. The Alaska governor's race could widen the request to 662 troops if Kreiss-Tomkins wins.

The Trump administration's response will be the other key development. The White House could accept the withdrawals, replace the troops, or argue governors cannot recall troops once federalised. How that dispute plays out will determine whether the council's letter is a symbolic protest or the beginning of the end of the deployment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is asking for the National Guard troops to leave Washington?
DC Councilmember Brooke Pinto said she will send a letter on behalf of the DC Council urging five incoming Democratic governors to withdraw their states' troops on their first day in office.

Which states are involved, and how many troops does each have in Washington?
Georgia has 514 troops in the capital, Iowa has 110, Ohio has 2, Nevada has 1 and Texas has 1, for a total of 628.

How many National Guard troops are deployed in Washington in total?
About 3,100 National Guard members remain deployed in Washington after President Donald Trump ordered the mobilisation in August 2025 following a declared crime emergency.

Can the DC Council order the troops out?
No. The troops operate under federal authority, and only the governors who sent them — or the federal government — can recall them. The council's letter is a political appeal, not a legal order.

How much does the deployment cost?
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the National Guard deployment in Washington costs about $55 million a month.

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