Tennessee is sending 160 National Guard troops to Washington D.C. to assist President Donald Trump in his federal crackdown on crime in the nation's capital.

Elizabeth Johnson, a spokesperson for Gov. Bill Lee's office, in an Aug. 19 statement said the governor responded to the president's request to aid in the effort. She said the service members will deploy this week and will assist "as long as needed."

"These service members will join the D.C. Joint Task Force and work alongside local and federal law enforcement agencies to assist with monument security, community safety patrols, protecting federal facilities, and traffic control," she said.

Tennessee is the latest in a handful of Republican-led states to send more than a thousand National Guard troops to help in a federal takeover

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