U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered National Guard personnel patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C., to be armed, as the Trump administration’s anti-crime offensive continues.
Earlier in August, Trump ordered the deployment of the Guard in Washington and placed the local police under federal control to combat what he described as “out-of-control crime in the capital.”
Just last week, the Pentagon stated that the troops involved in the mission—currently numbering around 2,000—would not be carrying weapons.
While the presidential administration has praised the mission, polls show it is not supported by Washington residents, who lean largely Democratic.
In a statement, the Pentagon confirmed that soon National Guard troops will patrol the streets with their service weapons.
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has not commented on the decision. Until now, the Guard’s mission had been limited to patrol duties, without involvement in special operations carried out by police and federal agencies.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Friday, Trump said, “The capital had turned into hell, but now it is safe.” He also announced that a similar mission could be launched in Chicago, another Democratic-run city whose local administration has clashed repeatedly with Trump.
