US National Guard troops have started appearing on the streets of Washington DC, a day after President Donald Trump deployed them and assumed control of the city’s police force, citing concerns about rising violent crime.

Armoured vehicles were spotted at urban centers and major tourist sites on Tuesday evening, as officials said 800 National Guard troops and 500 federal law enforcement agents would be deployed to the city.

Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, described the move as an “authoritarian push” and rejected claims that crime was out of control in the capital. Trump, a Republican, has also suggested he might deploy troops to New York and Chicago, both Democratic-run cities.

The troops have been gradually arriving since Trump’s Monday announcement. They have erected barricades outside government buildings and even posed for photos with tourists.

On Monday night, federal agents arrested 23 people for offences including homicide, gun violations, drug dealing, lewd acts, stalking, and reckless driving, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. She added: “This is only the beginning… we will relentlessly pursue and arrest every violent criminal in the District.”

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that agents were involved in roughly half of the arrests. Despite the deployment, both Mayor Bowser and DC Police Chief Pamela Smith emphasized that they share the goal of removing illegal guns and improving public safety. Smith noted that the federal surge could help make the city safer.

However, at a town hall on Tuesday night, Bowser urged residents to defend the city’s autonomy and home rule, calling for the election of a Democratic House to counter what she described as an “authoritarian push.”

The deployment comes amid a manhunt for a gunman who killed a man on Monday night in Logan Circle, a neighborhood just a mile from the White House.

It marked the city’s 100th homicide this year. Police say the suspect was last seen wearing a black shirt and carrying a rifle, prompting the Secret Service to increase security near the president’s residence.

Crime statistics paint a complex picture. Metropolitan Police figures show violent crime peaked in 2023 but fell 35% last year to its lowest level in three decades. FBI data indicates a smaller decline of 9%, though studies show the city’s homicide rate remains higher than the average for major US cities.