Donald Trump tweeted on June 7 that the National Guard has started to withdraw from Washington, D.C., following his orders after several days of peaceful protest. While he noted that they will be going back home, Trump said they can return quickly if needed as he pointed out that the number of protestors that showed up the previous was comparatively lower than what they expected.

Protestors demanding justice for George Floyd were controlled by about 5,000 National Guard troops that patrolled America's capital, along with 3,900out-of-state National Guard troops coming from 11 states and 1,200 Guard troops from D.C. The president did not clarify if he meant all National Guard forces should withdraw or whether he just meant that out-of-state troops have been ordered to leave.

The out-of-state forces involvement has been the point the administration and Washington officials have been arguing over. On Jun. 7, Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy announced that the out-of-state National Guard will start returning home at 5 p.m. ET, on Sunday. The decision to send the out-of-state Guard forces back home was taken over the last two days citing the non-violent nature of the recent demonstrations.

The Pentagon, McCarthy was against using the active-duty troops to suppress the protests in the country's capital but said that the implementation of the Insurrection Act that would enable the use of these troops was discussed heavily with the administration. The troops stayed on the outskirts because they didn't want them to do it, McCarthy said.

The Department of Defense refrained from going to that extent as it realized that once things are escalated to that level, it will be very difficult, McCarthy revealed during a phone call with reporters. He was referring to about 1,600 active-duty soldiers that had been called to the basses in the Washington D.C. area. McCarthy said they tried their best to ensure they did not cross that line.

In an interview with CNN, Maj. Gen. William Walker, who serves as the commander of the DC National Guard had revealed that the out-of-state troops would start returning home as early as Jun. 8. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser sent a letter to the president on Jun. 5 point out that the additional law enforcement is inflaming and adding to the grievance of the protestors that have been demanding justice for George Floyd.

The protestors have not adopted violent methods to convey their message and the Metropolitan Police Department didn't make a single arrest the previous night, Bowser noted in her letter. She urged the president to withdraw the military presence, as well as the extraordinary law enforcement from Washington, D.C. 

Responding to the mayor via a tweet, Trump claimed that Bowser was fighting the Guard and threatened to bring a different group of men and women if she didn't treat the service members well. Bowser even participated in protests in D.C. on Jun. 6. As she walked through downtown DC along with protestors, Bowser said the nation should be watching what's happening in Washington, DC, because they don't want the federal government to treat other Americans the same way.