Tens of millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent to feed National Guard members stationed in Washington, D.C., according to a new report. Since last October, the Defense Department has shelled out $49 million on meals for troops deployed to the capital by President Donald Trump in response to what he called a crime emergency, The Washington Sun reported, citing four government contracts. One contract, worth $15.6 million, covered catered breakfast, lunch and dinner and midnight meals for service members. Another, valued at $9.9 million, provided for catered meals from May through June. One company, Maryland‑based Sardi’s Catering, received upwards of $33 million for the work.
An additional $20 million in taxpayer funds could be spent on feeding the troops by the year’s end, according to the outlet. The Congressional Budget Office estimated in January that it would cost at least $18 million per month to deploy 1,000 National Guard personnel to a U.S. city. Congressional Democrats previously estimated the total cost of the D.C. deployment would exceed $600 million by August.
Trump first ordered National Guard troops into Washington’s streets in August 2025, announcing an initial deployment of 800 troops and a month‑long federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department. He said the measures were intended to combat what he called an “out‑of‑control” crime. The mission eventually expanded to more than 4,000 troops and is scheduled to continue through the remainder of Trump’s second term. In August, the Justice Department hailed the surge as a success, citing year‑over‑year declines of 45 percent in homicides, 64 percent in carjackings and 33 percent in robberies.
Democrats sharply criticized the deployment, calling it an alarming precedent and an unnecessary use of taxpayer money, noting that crime in Washington had already been declining from its pandemic‑era peak. Michigan Senator Gary Peters said in February that despite the significant investment, the National Guard had been unable to identify any specific measurable public safety outcomes directly attributable to their presence. Protests erupted on city streets and local officials challenged the deployment in court. In November, a judge ruled the deployment unlawful and ordered it overturned, but a federal appeals court later allowed the troops to remain while the case proceeds. Trump has also sent National Guard troops to other cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and New Orleans.
