The US Justice Department has strongly criticised the District of Columbia Council after its members wrote to 20 state governors urging them to withdraw National Guard troops deployed to Washington. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald dismissed the council's letters as "impotent theatrics," insisting the council has no authority to demand the troops' removal, and argued the deployment has driven a significant fall in crime that the council was ignoring. The dispute reflects a wider clash between the Trump administration and local DC officials over the continued federal security presence in the capital.

The council's letters, sent in late July to governors including those of Florida, Georgia and Louisiana, asked for all troops to be withdrawn by 1 September 2026, arguing that around 5,148 Guard personnel are deployed at a cost exceeding $3 million a day, according to the Congressional Budget Office, despite what they say is only a modest drop in property crime and no measurable reduction in violent crime attributable to the Guard. The Justice Department countered by citing FBI Director Kash Patel's claim that homicides in DC are down 44% since the "Safe and Beautiful" initiative began in August 2025, and vowed on social media to continue backing the crackdown alongside President Trump.