Trump’s National Guard Deployment in D.C.: Event Planners React

The day after President Trump ordered the deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., a small association meeting was kicking off at a Dupont Circle hotel, just blocks from the White House.

The meeting planner who was handling all logistics for the meeting, who asked not to be named, immediately alerted her client, the head of the association.

“Regardless of politics, I need to inform you that the National Guard has just been deployed in D.C. While I don’t think your program will be affected, your attendees could see military presence in the area,” she alerted the head of the association.

This association meeting proceeded without disruption. Still, the sight of armed National Guard troops alongside FBI agents, DEA, Customs and Border Protection, and ICE personnel is unsettling, she said.

“I live in D.C. I plan many meetings here. Yes, there’s crime, but nothing that warrants this level of militarization. This is not how you welcome convention attendees,” she said. “In travel and tourism, meetings included, perception outweighs facts.”

Perception vs. Reality for Planners

For event organizers, the challenge is managing optics. Armed troops may reassure some attendees while alarming others, especially those unfamiliar with D.C.

“Perception matters, so it’s important to proactively communicate with attendees to set expectations and ease concerns,” said Trisha Gouveia, chief event officer at MarCom&Events.

Carine Desroches, meetings and events director at the National Kidney Foundation, said the deployment amplifies existing worries.

“I planned a patient summit in March and some participants were already nervous about protests and safety. This was before the National Guard was deployed. Now, it amplifies the perception that there’s an uncontrollable problem. It will put fear in people traveling to D.C.”

This month, more than 10,000 attendees from the American Chemical Society will gather at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, followed by 2,500 for the International Conference on Pharmacoepidemiology (ICPE). 

ICPE attendee Max Goldstein says the extra presence feels reassuring. “If anything, it will make me feel safer as a visitor knowing there’s more enforcement.”

Even before the deployment, D.C. was struggling to hold onto business events. According to Politico Magazine, the city has lost 41 conferences and corporate gatherings this year.

Trump has framed the move as a public safety measure. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called it “unsettling and unprecedented,” citing Justice Department data showing violent crime is at a 30-year low, down 26% from 2024.

The President has given no timeline for withdrawal.

Locals are countering the narrative through a social media campaign, #therealDC, highlighting the city’s vibrancy. Destination DC joined the effort this week with A Love Letter to DC, a video reel showcasing neighborhoods, museums, and cultural life.

Trump has indicated there could be similar deployments in New York, Chicago, Baltimore, and Oakland. In June, he deployed nearly 5,000 National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles during immigration protests.