WASHINGTON — Members of the United States National Guard stood near the Washington Monument on Saturday amid escalating tensions in the U.S. capital as President Donald Trump ramped up the presence of law enforcement in the mostly Democratic city.

Tourists walking by the uniformed troops in Washington’s blistering weekend heat were confused about their presence, with a group from Kentucky asking why the troops were even there. Some families requested photos with the troops and the National Guard members obliged.

The sight of army-fatigued National Guard members and face-covered police agents has increased in Washington throughout the week after Trump signed an executive order declaring a crime emergency in the nation’s capital.

Many residents of Washington are outraged by Trump’s overre

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