The U.S. military is on standby to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops into Washington, D.C., as part of President Donald J. Trump’s sweeping law-and-order push to reclaim the nation’s capital from criminals and chaos.

While President Trump has not yet issued the final activation order, two U.S. officials familiar with the plan confirmed that the Guard is ready to move in at a moment’s notice. This readiness comes on the heels of a surge in federal law enforcement presence — with 120 FBI agents now patrolling D.C. streets overnight in known carjacking hotspots, according to the Washington Post. Many of these agents have been reassigned from across the country.

“Be prepared! There will be no ‘MR. NICE GUY.’ We want our Capital BACK,” the President warned in a Truth Social post Sunday evening, ahead of a White House press conference scheduled for Monday to address the capital’s public safety and cleanliness.

The pending operation builds on Trump’s March 28 executive order, “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful,” which created a multi-agency task force to crush violent crime and curb illegal immigration within city limits.

“The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong,” Trump declared, comparing his planned D.C. crackdown to his aggressive border enforcement strategy.

He also acknowledged D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s efforts but said patience has run out: “The Mayor of D.C., Muriel Bowser, is a good person who has tried, but she has been given many chances, and the Crime Numbers get worse, and the City only gets dirtier and less attractive.”

Bowser quickly pushed back on MSNBC, insisting that Trump’s move is about optics, not necessity: “If the priority is to show force in an American city, we know he can do that here. But it won’t be because there’s a spike in crime.”

D.C. police data shows violent crime down 26% compared to this time in 2024, with juvenile arrests down roughly 20%, according to the Washington Post. The White House, however, maintains that these statistics do not reflect the reality on the streets. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement declaring the capital has “been plagued by petty and violent crime for far too long.”

As part of the federal surge launched Thursday, U.S. Park Police arrested more than half a dozen suspects on charges ranging from possession of stolen firearms to trafficking narcotics. The operation netted two firearms from convicted felons, around 30 suspected fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills, 210 grams of crack cocaine, 600 grams of marijuana, 64 grams of hash oil, and $3,600 in cash, according to Park Police Fraternal Order of Police head Kenneth Spencer.

The law-and-order push was partly spurred by the brutal beating of Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer, who attempted to stop a carjacking in downtown D.C. last Sunday. Coristine, nicknamed “Big Balls” during his time at DOGE, was attacked by a mob of ten youths. A photo posted by both Trump and Elon Musk showed Coristine bloodied, shirt torn, and lying on the ground after the assault.

Critics on the left have condemned Trump’s aggressive approach as “heartless.” “That money could be better spent getting folks housing and support,” Jesse Rabinowitz of the National Homelessness Law Center told the Washington Post.

The President, however, has made clear that law and order in the capital is non-negotiable — and the Guard could be on the streets in days.