Ten days after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard on the streets of Washington DC, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the troops to be armed, the Pentagon said Friday.

The Defense Department didn’t immediately offer any other details about the new development or why it was needed.

2,000 National Guard troops in DC

The step is an escalation in Trump’s intervention into policing the nation’s capital and comes as nearly 2,000 National Guard members are stationed in the city, with the arrival this week of hundreds of troops from several Republican-led states.

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The city had been informed about the intent for the National Guard to be armed. (Photo: Reuters) The city had been informed about the intent for the National Guard to be armed. (Photo: Reuters)

Trump initially called up 800 members of the District of Columbia National Guard to assist federal law enforcement in his crackdown on crime and homelessness in the capital. Since then, six states have sent troops to the city, growing the military presence.

Pentagon earlier said troops won’t be armed

The Pentagon and Army said last week that troops would not carry weapons. The guard has so far not taken part in law enforcement but has largely been protecting landmarks like the National Mall and Union Station and helping with crowd control.

The city had been informed about the intent for the National Guard to be armed, a person familiar with the conversations told The Associated Press.

700 arrested in DC so far

Meanwhile, a White House official said that 76 people, including 36 undocumented immigrants, were arrested in DC on Thursday night as part of the president’s law-enforcement initiative. The charges against them include drug possession, resisting arrest, assault and driving without a licence.

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Nearly 2,000 National Guard members are stationed in DC. (Photo: Reuters) Nearly 2,000 National Guard members are stationed in DC. (Photo: Reuters)

Those arrested included two known gang members, a person who had an outstanding warrant for violating parole in a sex abuse case, a person who was carrying a pistol without a licence, and a robbery suspect.

More than 700 people have so far been arrested in DC, since the operation started.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington for President Donald Trump’s law enforcement crackdown will be armed, the Pentagon said Friday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington for President Donald Trump’s law enforcement crackdown will be armed, the Pentagon said Friday.

The Defense Department didn’t offer any other details about the new development or why it was needed.

The step is a escalation in Trump’s intervention into policing in the nation’s capital and comes as nearly 2,000 National Guard members have been stationed in the city, with the arrival this week of hundreds of troops from several Republican-led states.

Trump initially called up 800 members of the District of Columbia National Guard to assist federal law enforcement in his bid to crack down on crime and homelessness in the capital. Since then, six states have sent troops to the city, growing the military presence.

It was unclear if the guard’s role in the federal intervention would be changing. The guard has so far not taken part in law enforcement but largely have been protecting landmarks like the National Mall and Union Station and helping with crowd control.

The Pentagon and the Army said last week that troops would not carry guns. The new guidance is that they will carry their service-issued weapons.

The city had been informed about the intent for the National Guard to be armed, a person familiar with the conversations said earlier this week. The person was not authorized to disclose the plans and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Spokespeople for the District of Columbia National Guard and a military task force overseeing all the guard troops in Washington did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

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AP writer Anna Johnson contributed to this report.

Konstantin Toropin, The Associated Press

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington for President Trump’s law enforcement crackdown will be armed, the Pentagon said Friday.

The Defense Department didn’t immediately offer any other details about the new development or why it was needed.

The step is a escalation in Mr. Trump’s intervention into policing in the nation’s capital and comes as nearly 2,000 National Guard members are stationed in the city, with the arrival this week of hundreds of troops from several Republican-led states.

The Pentagon and Army said last week that troops would not carry weapons. The new guidance is that they will carry their service-issued weapons.

National Guard personnel have been deployed in D.C. since last week, when Mr. Trump ordered the D.C. Guard to crack down on what he has called an “epidemic of crime.” Federal agents have also patrolled the city, and the president has asserted control over the local Metropolitan Police Department.

It was unclear if the guard’s role in the federal intervention could be changing. The troops have not taken part in law enforcement and largely have been protecting landmarks including the National Mall and Union Station and helping with crowd control.

Some troops have fed squirrels. One Guard member helped a woman carry her belongings down the stairs in a train station. Others have been seen taking photos with passers-by, standing around chatting and drinking coffee. There have been no overt indications they have faced threats that would require weapons.

On Thursday, Mr. Trump visited a U.S. Park Police facility in southeast D.C., and handed out hamburgers and pizza as he thanked federal law enforcement. A day before, Hegseth as well as Vice President JD Vance and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller visited National Guard members at Union Station.

Mr. Trump has insisted that people he knows feel safer than before in the city, but local officials say the initiative is unnecessary. After spiking in 2023, violent crime in D.C. has been declining for the last year and a half, according to local police data. Mr. Trump has claimed that crime is on the upswing.

The city’s police department and the offices of Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Brian Schwalb did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The city had been informed about the intent for the National Guard to be armed, a person familiar with the conversations said earlier this week. The person was not authorized to disclose the plans and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Spokespeople for the District of Columbia National Guard and a military task force overseeing all the guard troops in Washington did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized National Guardsmen mobilized in Washington D.C. to carry “service-issued weapons,” a defense official said on Friday, though the Pentagon has not specified the specific weapons the soldiers will be armed with.

The National Guardsman in Washington, D.C. “will soon be on mission with their service-issued weapons, consistent with their mission and training,” the defense official said in a statement.

The Pentagon did not offer specifics to questions from Task & Purpose on whether soldiers will be issued M4s or the service’s newly adopted M7 rifle, or if the firearms would be pistols like the M17 or M18.

No information was immediately available about what prompted the move or exactly when the National Guard troops will begin carrying their weapons.

“The D.C. National Guard remains committed to safeguarding the District of Columbia and serving those who live, work, and visit the District,” the statement said.

A member of the District of Columbia National Guard, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Task & Purpose that the move to arm Guardsmen was unnecessary.

“Us being out there is not sending a message other than clear provocation to our own populace,” the National Guard member said.

President Donald Trump announced on Aug. 11 that he had ordered 800 troops with the District of Columbia National Guard to deploy to the nation’s capital after declaring on social media the federal city would be “LIBERATED.” Trump has portrayed criminality in Washington, D.C. as widespread but violent crime in the district is at a 30-year low and dropped 35% year-over-year from 2023 to 2024, according to the Justice Department.

Since then, more than 2,000 National Guardsmen from the District of Columbia and six states have been activated as part of the operation.

This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as more information becomes available.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington for President Donald Trump’s law enforcement crackdown to start carrying firearms, the Pentagon said Friday.

The Defense Department didn’t 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 Guard members have been stationed in the heavily Democratic city, with the arrival this week of hundreds of troops from several Republican-led states.

Trump initially called up 800 members of the District of Columbia National Guard to assist federal law enforcement in his bid to crack down on crime, homelessness and illegal immigration. Since then, six states have sent troops to the city, growing the military presence.

It was unclear if the guard’s role in the federal intervention could be changing. The troops have not taken part in law enforcement and largely have been protecting landmarks including the National Mall and Union Station and helping with crowd control.

Some troops have fed squirrels. One Guard member helped a woman carry her belongings down the stairs in a train station. Others have been seen taking photos with passers-by, standing around chatting and drinking coffee. There have been no overt indications they have faced threats that would require weapons.

Trump has boasted that the city is safer than ever because of his intervention. He told reporters Friday that “it’s a miracle what’s happened.”

“D.C. was a hell hole,” he said. “But now it’s safe.”

He suggested that he could prolong the deployment of troops and federal agents in Washington.

“The big question is how long do we stay?” he said. “Because if we stay, we want to make sure it doesn’t come back. So we have to take care of these criminals and get them out.”

Trump noted that he would ask Congress for $2 billion to improve the appearance of the city, including resurfacing roads and replacing streetlights. He’s previously pledged to improve the grass to look like one of his golf courses.

“It’s going to be safe, and it’s going to be beautified,” he said.

Trump’s decision to seek more money for sprucing up Washington comes months after the Republican-controlled Congress passed legislation that essentially forced a $1.1 billion budget cut on the city. Local leaders have pleaded for a fix but to no avail.

The Pentagon and the Army had said last week that troops would not carry guns. The new guidance is that they will carry their service-issued weapons.

Alex Wagner, a former chief of staff to the Army secretary and assistant secretary for the Air Force during Democratic administrations, said asking troops to carry firearms is a “recipe for disaster.”

He said most National Guard members don’t have the right training for Trump’s law enforcement crackdown and are being put in a “no-win situation”

“Do they have any role that would require them to have firearms? No,” he said.

However, Wagner said, if there are confrontations, “the White House can spin that to their political advantage.”

The city’s police department and the offices of Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Brian Schwalb did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The city had been informed about the intent for the National Guard to be armed, a person familiar with the conversations said earlier this week. The person was not authorized to disclose the plans and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Spokespeople for the District of Columbia National Guard and a military task force overseeing all the guard troops in Washington did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Associated Press writers Matthew Brown, Ashraf Khalil and Anna Johnson contributed to this report.

Protesters, police, and National Guard troops congregate at the entrance to Union Station in Washington, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance visited Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth meet with members of the National Guard at Union Station in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (Alexander Drago/Pool via AP)

National Guard soldiers salute as the motorcade carrying President Donald Trump, passes by near the White House, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Donald Trump speaks with members of law enforcement and National Guard soldiers, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Donald Trump speaks with members of law enforcement and National Guard soldiers, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)