War Dept Spends $49 Million Feeding D.C. Guard

The War Department has spent nearly $50 million in the past year feeding National Guard members posted in Washington, D.C., according to reports.

More than $49 million has been spent since October 2025 providing catered meals for troops deployed to the nation's capital as part of President Donald Trump's anti-crime initiative and security surrounding America's 250th anniversary celebrations, according to government contracts reviewed by The Washington Sun .

The contracts covered "breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight meals," with one $9.9 million solicitation covering a month over the summer calling for 13,200 meals each day.

Another $20 million could be spent feeding troops through the end of 2026, The Sun reported.

One catering company, Maryland-based Sardi's Catering, received more than $33 million worth of work.

Newsmax reached out to the War Department for comment.

Trump initially deployed about 800 National Guard troops to Washington in August 2025 after declaring a crime emergency and launching a federal crackdown intended to restore public safety and order in the nation's capital.

The deployment subsequently expanded, reaching 4,630 troops in early August following a buildup around the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations, according to The Sun.

The New York Times reported the deployment peaked at 5,148 troops July 10 before declining to 2,921 by late September.

The broader costs extend far beyond food.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated in January that activating, deploying and compensating 1,000 National Guard troops in a city would cost between $18 million and $21 million per month.

The federal government also awarded a $292 million contract to provide as many as 2,000 apartment-style lodging units for troops through June 2027.

The Trump administration, however, has pointed to arrests, firearm seizures, and other law-enforcement results to defend its D.C. crackdown.

The Justice Department said that as of Feb. 26, the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force had made more than 10,200 arrests, including 29 homicide suspects and 58 known gang members.

Authorities had also seized 1,061 illegal firearms and recovered 16 missing children.

Federal authorities have continued touting results.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced in September that a summer crackdown resulted in 60 federal indictments, the seizure of 533 illegal firearms and the arrests of 28 known gang members.

The National Guard's continued presence has faced opposition from D.C. officials and some residents, including litigation challenging the deployment.

The Sun reported the Guard presence is expected to continue through the remainder of Trump's term, leaving the ultimate cost of feeding thousands of service members through January 2029 unclear.

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