A year has passed since President Donald Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington, deploying National Guard troops alongside a promise to make the city "safe and beautiful."
What was initially presented as a short-term intervention has now been prolonged through January 2029. One year on, residents and an incoming group of local officials continue to challenge the military presence, viewing the move as an unacceptable attempt by the federal government to restrict the heavily Democratic city's autonomy and questioning why troops remain in the nation's capital.
