Estimated Daily Cost of National Guard Mission in DC Exceeds $1 Million, Despite Pentagon’s Refusal to Provide Official Figures

The ongoing National Guard deployment in Washington D.C., as part of President Trump’s crime prevention strategy in the city, is estimated to cost approximately $1 million daily, according to experts’ calculations reported by CNN.

Kate Kuzminski, Director of Studies at the Center for New American Security, stated that the mission’s expenses, including payroll for over 2,200 National Guard personnel, housing, travel, food, fuel, and logistical requirements, likely exceed $1 million per day. This estimate is based on costs incurred during the mobilization of around 5,000 National Guardsmen to D.C. in 2020, which was estimated to cost over $2 million daily.

Similarly, Retired Marine Corps Col. Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, confirmed this rough estimate of $1 million per day for the current deployment. However, these estimates exclude costs associated with other federal law enforcement agencies participating in the mission.

Neither the Pentagon nor the National Guard have provided cost estimates for the operation, despite being capable of doing so for a similar mission just two months ago. A defense official informed CNN on Wednesday that the total cost won’t be known until the mission concludes. The official directed CNN to the White House after follow-up questions about the daily $1 million estimate. Inquiries regarding the cost of the mission from the National Guard were referred to the Pentagon.

The Intercept was first to report on the estimated cost of the National Guard operation in D.C.

While it’s common for the final cost of a mission like the one in D.C. to remain uncertain due to adjusting logistical needs and unclear orders for service members, multiple US officials told CNN that the unwillingness to disclose the cost is also due to senior levels of the Pentagon and White House’s involvement in the mission and their strict control over information related to it.

Two US officials revealed that a rough estimate or one currently being calculated likely exists, but only senior-level officials have authorization to discuss it because of the political nature of the mission and the White House’s participation. Communication about the cost, one official said, is typically approved at much lower levels than the current mission due to funding coming from the Army and Air Force departments.

A third US official explained that while a cost estimate is still being calculated, it won’t be disclosed until senior-level officials of the Pentagon or White House decide to release the information.

Interestingly, the Pentagon was able to provide a cost estimate for a similar mission in Los Angeles in June, just three days after roughly 4,000 Guardsmen were mobilized to support law enforcement there. Bryn MacDonnell, a special assistant to the secretary of defense and official performing the duties of the under secretary of defense, informed Congress on June 10 that the estimated cost was $134 million, primarily covering temporary duty costs, travel, housing, food, etc. President Trump signed a memorandum mobilizing the initial batch of 2,000 Guardsmen on June 7.

As of Tuesday morning, there were 2,254 National Guard troops in D.C., with over 1,300 hailing from the six states that dispatched personnel to support the DC National Guard. While some troops are positioned throughout the city at metro stations and monuments or memorials, soldiers and airmen have also begun assisting with “beautification projects,” such as picking up trash, replanting grass, and spreading mulch.