Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has issued a sharp warning that she will pull her state’s National Guard members from Washington, D.C., if they are used for purposes beyond the America 250 celebrations.
In a letter obtained by NPR, Whitmer directed the head of Michigan’s National Guard to ensure troops are not being used to support the federal joint task force known as the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Mission.
“Please take all necessary measures to ensure the Michigan National Guard is only supporting the narrow and limited America 250 Mission and is in no way supporting the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Mission,” Whitmer wrote.
Michigan currently has 161 guard members stationed in the nation’s capital, making it one of four Democratic-led states that recently deployed troops ahead of the America 250 tourism influx.
The other three states are North Carolina, Kentucky, and Minnesota, each of which also stated their guard members were sent specifically to support the anniversary celebrations and not for law enforcement operations.
Kentucky has already recalled its one guard member after that individual was redirected to the federal task force without the knowledge or consent of Gov. Beshear or the Kentucky Guard.
Scottie Ellis, a spokesperson for Gov. Beshear, confirmed to NPR in an email that the member was “diverted to the task force by the federal government without the knowledge or consent of Gov. Beshear of the Kentucky Guard.”
Whitmer’s warning comes after a video circulated on social media showing troops identifying themselves as Michigan National Guard members patrolling Georgetown, an upscale neighborhood more than a mile from any America 250 event site.
NPR authenticated the video, though Whitmer’s office did not immediately respond to a request to verify whether those troops were Michigan members.
President Trump originally deployed hundreds of troops to Washington, D.C., in August 2025, citing concerns about crime despite declining crime rates at the time, with experts describing the move as a significant departure from governing norms.
The total number of troops in the city has since grown to more than 4,800, drawn from Washington, D.C., and almost two dozen states, which until recently were exclusively Republican-led.
All state guard members in D.C. are operating under Title 32 status, meaning the federal government funds the deployment while governors retain command, though former National Guard officials note day-to-day oversight is impractical in a mission of this scale.
Troops from all four Democratic-led states appear on the official federal joint task force roster, though Whitmer stated Michigan’s troops should not be included in that count.
A spokesperson for the joint task force told NPR that it oversees all guard members in D.C. for organizational purposes, but insisted that being listed “does not change their specific mission.”
Legal experts at the Brennan Center for Justice have warned that drawing a meaningful operational distinction between the America 250 celebrations and the broader joint task force mission will prove extremely difficult in practice.
The joint task force is largely conducting high-visibility presence patrols across residential neighborhoods, public parks, and metro stations throughout the capital.
Whitmer’s letter warned that if assurances cannot be provided, she will “end Michigan’s support for the America 250 mission” entirely, drawing a firm line over how her state’s troops are used.
All four Democratic governors’ offices contacted by NPR were consistent in stating their guard members were deployed solely for America 250 support and should not be counted as part of the broader federal enforcement operation.
