Hegseth Calls D.C. Protesters 'Ingrates' as National Guard Presence Nears 5,000
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · Jul 2
Hegseth Calls D.C. Protesters 'Ingrates' as National Guard Presence Nears 5,000
3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Jul 2
Summary
Pete Hegseth used a Washington ceremony for about 250 Guardsmen to denounce protesters as “ingrates” after chants of “Guard go home” and amplified noise tried to drown out speeches.
Roughly 5,000 National Guard personnel are now rotating through the capital—nearly double recent levels—as the deployment approaches one year and continues high-visibility patrols and civic support missions.
The mission has drawn scrutiny because troops from mostly Republican-led states are serving in an unusual domestic role with limited legal authority, while some Democratic-led states say their forces should be used only for July 4 events.
Cost estimates have added to the debate: one analysis put Guardsmen at about $607 a day versus $384 for a D.C. police officer, and the Congressional Budget Office estimated the deployment will cost at least $660 million this year.