The deployment of the troops follows an order by US President Donald Trump for a crackdown on crime in the US capital, a similar action he took during protests in Los Angeles in June, prompting widespread backlash.

The influx came the morning after the Republican president announced he would be activating the guard members and taking over the District’s police department, something the law allows him to do temporarily.

Trump's plan to address crime in D.C. calls for deploying National Guard troops along the National Mall overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning, according to a source.