A year in, thousands of armed troops have quietly become a fixture of D.C. life

The Washington Monument is seen in the distance as members of the National Guard stand atop the steps at the Lincoln Memorial at sunrise on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on July 23, 2026.

The deployment is expected to cost in the billions after it was quietly extended until Inauguration Day of 2029.

(Image credit: Kent Nishimura)

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