US EditionHegseth orders National Guard troops in DC to carry weapons
- On August 21, 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed that National Guard personnel stationed in Washington, D.C. for President Trump's law enforcement efforts be equipped with firearms.
- This directive reverses last week's Pentagon and Army assurances that the National Guard would remain unarmed and coincides with the expanded deployment of nearly 2,000 troops from several Republican-led states.
- The troops have primarily focused on safeguarding landmarks and managing crowds, while Trump applauded the improvements, calling the situation "a miracle," and pledged to seek $2 billion from Congress to enhance the city's infrastructure and appearance.
- Mayor Bowser reported violent crime at a 30-year low, though reports differ as some officials contest her figures, and National Guard authorization includes conditions on weapons use consistent with their mission and training.
- The deployment marks an escalation of federal intervention in D.C., bypassing local leaders and raising concerns over the duration and implications of armed National Guard presence in the heavily Democratic city.
47 Articles
47 Articles
US troops in Washington to be armed, as Trump escalates policing role
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington for President Donald Trump’s law enforcement crackdown will start carrying firearms, the Pentagon said on Friday. The Defence Department did not offer any other details about the new development or why it was needed. The step is an escalation in Trump’s intervention into policing in the nation’s capital and comes as nearly 2,000 National…
Hegseth orders National Guard troops in DC to carry weapons
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered National Guard members patrolling the streets of Washington, DC, to begin carrying their service weapons as they fulfill President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown in the nation’s capital, according to a US defense official.
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