The 135 Louisiana National Guard troops sent to join President Donald Trump’s crackdown on crime and homelessness in Washington D.C. had arrived Wednesday to help local law enforcement — and they will stay there “as long as the President needs them,” Gov. Jeff Landry said Wednesday.

Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have visited National Guard troops at Union Station amid protests in Washington.

The number of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., increased again on Tuesday as a sixth Republican-led state sent some of its soldiers to the nation's capital as part of the president's activation to fight what he claims is rising crime in the city.

The moves come as federal agents and National Guard troops have begun to appear across the heavily Democratic city after President Trump's executive order.

By Trevor Hunnicutt and Joseph Ax WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Top Trump administration officials on Wednesday thanked troops deployed in the nation's capital and blasted demonstrators opposed to the aggressive anti-crime efforts as "stupid white hippies.

The main drag in Washington’s Columbia Heights neighborhood is typically crammed with people peddling pupusas, fresh fruit, souvenirs and clothing. On Tuesday, though, things felt different: The white tents that bulge with food and merchandise were scarcer than usual.

Gov. Jeff Landry said he was sending 135 members of the Louisiana National Guard to Washington D.C. as part of President Donald Trump's federal crackdown on crime in the city.

A National Guard vehicle collided with a civilian car near the U.S. Capitol as troops took positions around Washington during President Donald Trump's crackdown.