The numbers are in: National Guard deployed to DC to fight crime has picked up 500 bags of trash along 3.2 miles

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Tuesday 02 September 2025 22:37 BST


National Guard troops were deployed to Washington, D.C. to fight crime, but they have also participated in President Donald Trump’s beautification efforts, collecting 500 bags of trash along a 3.2-mile stretch.

When Trump announced last month he had placed D.C. police under direct federal control and deployed the National Guard to the city, he said he did it to “rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor, and worse.” Now, soldiers are rescuing D.C. from litter.

Troops wearing orange high-visibility vests over their camouflage uniforms were seen last week picking up trash in Lafayette Park just outside the White House. Soldiers were also seen cleaning up along the tidal basin near the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

“Guardsmen have cleaned more than 3.2 miles of roadways, collected more than 500 bags of trash, and disposed of three truckloads of plant waste,” the National Guard said in a statement shared by CBS News’ Scott MacFarlane on Monday.

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/national-guard-dc-trash-pick-up-trump-b2818830.html

[SarcasticSatyr]

1. If they want to help improve the community ..

What about offering the same pay to the unemployed/under-employed/homeless to pick up trash?

[Haggard Celine]

2. I read here the other day that Trump had

fucked up the NG's pay. The troops are supposed to get some extra pay while they're serving. I forgot what it's called. Anyway, in order to get that money, they have to be activated for 30 days, but Trump will only activate them for 29 days so he can save the money. If they got the homeless to pick up the trash, they would probably have to pay them more than they're paying the NG. I'll bet they really like picking up trash and not getting paid right. I don't know why people in the military would vote for Trump, but the ones that did are probably regretting it now.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Here

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143521782

[House of Roberts]

10. It's one thing to activate National Guard and Reservists for a National Disaster.

It's quite another to squander their time away from their real jobs and businesses. Some small businesses are hurt financially when employees get activated and they still have to pay them like they are at work. The self employed ones just lose entirely because their business gets no money and there's no pay. I had a customer have his business go under because of a deployment to Haiti in the 90s, and that was a humanitarian mission.

[CaptainTruth]

15. Trump is the national disaster.

[marble falls]

12. Bingo.

[Blues Heron]

26. They have BIDs in DC that do just that (business improvement districts)

[Hekate]

30. How about they hire back the 200 Parks workers fired by DOGE?!

[Harker]

3. They missed a big, heavy trash bag at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

[Wuddles440]

13. I'm giving you my "Chuckle of the Day Award".

Nicely done!

[Harker]

14. Thanks, I'm honored!

[twodogsbarking]

4. Y'all need weapons to pick up trash?

[tetedur]

5. Clean up and maintenance crews for D.C. have gone from 200 people to 20. Trump fired them.

So now the National Guard's job is picking up trash and spreading mulch. They are getting 29 day orders which screws them in pay. BAH-1 vs. BAH-2 pay. (Basic Allowance for Housing)

[WmChris]

6. Basic Training

At Fort Lenord Wood in 1967 we were required to police the grounds and the DI would follow and inspect. If there was anything but grass, asphalt, or gravel you were looking at extra PT or if there was grass in the gravel or on the asphalt or gravel in the grass or on the asphalt extra duty was in your near future along with a red faced cussing by the DI. 🫡

[Hekate]

31. The point is: these are fully trained State National Guard who are being hauled around on the whim...

…of a madman. They are being cheated of their rightful pay. They have jobs and homes to go to. There is NO fricking emergency.

AND Trump fired 200 Park workers who could be doing this work in a professional and diligent manner.

Something is seriously wrong with this picture.

[doc03]

7. Oh the good old days of "police call" picking up butts in the morning at Fort Gordan. We didn't

mulch though.

[Vinca]

9. That shakes out to a little over $250,000 a bag. Such a deal.

[usaf-vet]

19. Was there any resistance displayed by any of the 500? Handcuffs, tasers, needed? My guess is if a proper program was...

.... was established that many of those "law-breaking" "dangerous immigrants" would gladly take those jobs to improve the communities they live in.

But of course, djt wouldn't have any excuse to deploy troops and prove how big and bad he is. The "little dick" that he is.

[marble falls]

11. The closest to a bright side of this fiasco. Too bad TACO played with their housing benefits.

[twodogsbarking]

16. I give the recycle guys candy bars when I see them. Trash guy too, later in the day. Good men.

[dlilafae]

17. Free trash pickup, you say?

Did someone say enrollment is the Guard is at an all time low?

[mwb970]

18. So the crime they are there to fight is littering?

Do they know that someone was tossing garbage bags out of a White House window? Better get on the case!

[twodogsbarking]

20. Back up, we need back up, we are running out of bags. You go for them private, we will cover you. Head down.

[patphil]

21. What we have here is the most expensive garbage collection company in the business - The National Guard.

A million dollars a day to pick up trash.

[Sneederbunk]

22. I see medals coming for litter patrol.

[WestMichRad]

23. Something that could be accomplished...

… by 20 volunteers in half a day.

Well, good I guess, that the Guard is doing something useful rather than intimidating people.

[twodogsbarking]

24. We are now safe from future garbage attacks, thanks to thecrazyfuckinglunatic.

[Beartracks]

25. "Trump's beautification efforts"??

He sent the troops to D.C. as a political stunt to fight all sorts of chaos and crime that simply didn't exist. So instead of twiddling their thumbs, they're at least engaged in litter control.

===================

[Klarkashton]

27. The city pays people to do that work. This is stupid and a waste of time.

[Wonder Why]

28. Think of all the trashy felons who have been picked up.

The motto of the NG in DC: "We'll make you butt out of town by picking up your butts!"

[Fichefinder]

29. They are on 29 day orders, so no extra pay for food,

meaning that the money they spend for food comes out of their household budget.

[tclambert]

32. And the number of criminals arrested? Could it be ZERO? It is, isn't it?

[Oeditpus Rex]

33. Meanwhile

What's the D.C. crime rate since they got there compared to what itwas before?