Defense Secretary Hegseth has signed an order allowing Guard troops in D.C. to be armed. The authority is expected to be acted upon in coming days.

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,

With several states deploying some troops to Washington, D.C., the nation's capital has around 2,000 National Guard troops deployed.