"This isn’t new nor is it tied to the President’s efforts to address violent crime in DC," the official said late Friday.

Hundreds of National Guard soldiers in military fatigues and combat boots mingled with tourists, posed for selfies, and treated themselves to ice cream from food trucks on Thursday along Washington's...

Nearly 2,000 troops are in the process of being mobilized for the mission in Washington.

“This decision is not something taken lightly,” said Army Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard, III, the Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard, in a statement.

“It’s like a different place, different city,” Trump said of Washington. “Now, I think right now it’s better than it has been in years and in a couple of weeks, it’s going to be far better.”