National Guard Troops in Washington Start Carrying Arms

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered National Guard troops patrolling Washington, D.C., as part of President Donald Trump's law enforcement crackdown to start carrying firearms, marking an escalation in the federal intervention in the city. The Pentagon confirmed that these nearly 2,000 troops, including those from several Republican-led states, will be armed consistent with their mission and training, reversing earlier statements that they would not carry weapons. Trump has praised the intervention, claiming significant improvements in the city's safety and suggesting the possibility of prolonging the deployment to ensure crime does not return. This move follows Trump's invocation of the Home Rule Act, allowing temporary federal control over the Metropolitan Police Department. Despite the increased militarization, there have been no public indications that the troops have faced threats necessitating weapons thus far. The deployment is expected to continue through at least the end of September amid heightened federal efforts to crack down on crime, homelessness, and illegal immigration in the capital.