Photo: Pool / Getty Images News / Getty Images
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed that the National Guard now be armed as they patrol the streets of Washington, D.C., marking a reversal of the military's previous stance that troops wouldn't carry weapons.
800 members of the D.C. National Guard were initially deployed amid Donald Trump's federal takeover of the city to combat what the president deemed as "rampant lawlessness." The Guard's duties were previously limited to securing landmarks such as the National Mall and Union Station and assisting with crowd control.
Now, nearly 2,000 National Guard troops are stationed at the capital after hundreds were recently deployed from Republican-led states. The Pentagon and Army previously said Guard troops wouldn't be armed or act as active law enforcement.
According to the Associated Press, Hegseth has reversed the policy and ordered troops to carry their standard-issue service weapons. City officials were reportedly informed earlier this week of the intent to arm Guard troops.
The Defense Department declined to elaborate on the reason behind the reversal or what operational changes may follow. The move marks a notable escalation in the federal presence in D.C., where protests have erupted against the militarization of policing.
During a Wednesday (August 20) appearance at Union Station, Vice President J.D. Vance said the federal takeover of policing in D.C. could become a test case for other U.S. cities.
“Union Station is a great symbol of what’s possible when you actually have the political willpower to bring law and order and common decency back to the public spaces of the United States of America,” Vance told a group of National Guard troops at Union Station. “So many Americans live in cities… they would love to be able to just live their life in places like Union Station without violent criminals making it impossible.”
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