3 U.S. states sending National Guard troops to Washington

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The governors of three U.S. states are sending National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., as President Donald Trump asserted that crime and homelessness have been out of control in the nation's capital.

Governor of West Virginia Patrick Morrisey announced Saturday that he is sending 300 to 400 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. at the request of Trump. The governor's office stated in a news release that Morrisey has directed the troops to support Trump's initiative to restore cleanliness and safety to D.C.

Later on Saturday, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said he was authorizing the deployment of 200 National Guard members from his state to Washington at the Pentagon's request, and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he is sending 150 National Guard members at the request of the secretary of the U.S. Army, local media reported.

Some National Guard troops deployed to D.C. will begin carrying firearms to conduct their mission, local media quoted two U.S. officials on Saturday.

Trump announced on Monday that 800 National Guard troops would be sent to Washington, D.C. to respond to a "public safety emergency" he declared in the district on the same day.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has rejected the president's depiction, saying that the violent crime in his city is at a 30-year low.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi initially sought to take over control of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department at the direction of Trump, but dropped the effort after D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Friday.