WASHINGTON, D.C. — Task Force Thunder, of the Oklahoma National Guard, has officially arrived in Washington.
It was announced on Dec. 1 that Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt would be sending 160 members of the guard to assist in President Trump’s “D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission.”
Congressman Kevin Hern, Oklahoma State Senate Pro Temp Lonnie Paxton and Stitt all met with some members of Task Force Thunder at Union Station in D.C. last week. Hern posted on Facebook and Instagram about the meeting stating “We are incredibly grateful for their service to our country and their commitment to ensuring our nation’s capital is safe.”
Stitt, in his own post, said he “got a chance to see some of the incredible men and women of the Oklahoma National Guard in DC today…Thankful for their selfless volunteer service on this mission!”
Oklahoma Sen. MarkWayne Mullin, a member of the Armed Forces committee, was not there that day and it is not clear if he has met with the guard since their deployment; his office did not reply to questions about the Oklahoma Guard’s deployment.
Stitt’s Past Comments on Guard Deployments Resurface
In August, Stitt said that he had no plans to send the National Guard to Washington unless President Trump asked him to. Months later, though, he criticized the deployment of National Guardsmen to cities like Chicago and Portland, saying, “Oklahomans would lose their mind if Pritzker in Illinois sent troops down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration.”
Stitt also noted he believes it’s a violation of “state’s rights.” He and his team did not reply for comment when asked if he felt comfortable with sending in Task Force Thunder because D.C. does not have statehood.
Bowser Raises Statehood Concerns Over Guard Presence
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said, “It’s times like these when America needs to know that DC should be the 51st state,” when troops were originally deployed in August. Bowser has been a big proponent for D.C. statehood and has been noted saying she believes the current deployment is a “slippery slope.”
The crime rate in D.C. has been down since a small rise in 2023, but Bowser will not be seeking reelection in 2026 after more than a decade in the office.
Guardsmen from D.C., Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, South Carolina, West Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, South Dakota, and Ohio have been in D.C. at different periods since President Trump launched the mission, which included a federal takeover of the local law enforcement.
Lankford Emphasizes Temporary Role of Oklahoma National Guard Deployment
When previously asked about National Guard Deployment, Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford said that “short-term to help local police is not uncommon, but it is short term, they’re not local law enforcement. You need local law enforcement to take the lead.” It is not clear if Lankford has met with any members of the task force since their deployment and his office has not replied for comment on the deployment.
The Oklahoma Guard told its members they will remain in D.C. for 90 days under an order extending the mission through February 2026.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois recently stated that the mass deployment of guards this year has cost over $340 million, not counting the troops stationed along the U.S.-Mexico border. The deployment of more than 2,000 troops in D.C. costs an estimated $1.5 million per day.
When speaking to four members of the South Carolina National Guard in D.C., they said “We just want to help make the area safe. Some of us want to be here and some of us don’t but at the end of the day we’re just doing our job.
Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net.
