Some National Guard members in D.C. will be armed starting Sunday, official says

Some National Guard members in D.C. will be armed starting Sunday, official says

Title: National Guard Members in D.C. to Carry Firearms Starting Sunday

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a significant shift in its law enforcement strategy, President Donald Trump's administration has ordered National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C., to begin carrying firearms starting Sunday evening. The move, announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, comes as the National Guard has been deployed to the city in response to Trump's claims of an "epidemic of crime."

The Defense Department initially stated that National Guard troops would not carry weapons. However, on Friday, Hegseth authorized the deployment of approximately 2,000 National Guard members to carry their service-issued weapons, primarily M17 pistols, with a smaller number of troops armed with M4 rifles. The troops will be authorized to use their weapons for self-protection [3].

The deployment of armed National Guard troops marks an escalation in Trump's intervention into policing in the nation's capital. As of Saturday night, the National Guard troops are not making arrests and will continue to focus on protecting federal assets and providing a safe environment for law enforcement officers [3].

The decision to arm the National Guard troops has drawn criticism from Democrats, who view the deployment as a partisan move aimed at exerting presidential authority through scare tactics. Trump has threatened to extend similar deployments to other cities, including Chicago, claiming that the city is "a mess" and that residents are "screaming for us to come" [2].

The deployment of the National Guard to cities like D.C. is historically uncommon, as the force is typically used to respond to natural disasters and civil unrest. The move comes as violent crime in D.C. has been declining for the past year and a half, according to local police data [1].

References:
[1] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/national-guard-washington-dc-armed/
[2] https://au.news.yahoo.com/donald-trump-just-said-plans-155712143.html
[3] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/national-guard-troops-dc-begin-carrying-firearms-rcna226890