US National Guard troops in Washington to begin carrying weapons

25/8/2025 18:03

U.S. National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington D.C. as part of what President Donald Trump said was his crackdown on crime will begin carrying weapons on Sunday night, two officials said.



The exact number of troops who would carry their weapons was fluid, but they will either carry their M17 pistols or M4 rifles, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the matter.



Hundreds of unarmed National Guard troops have been in Washington's streets for the past two weeks after Trump declared a crime emergency in the district. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week authorized the troops to carry weapons.



The Guard's Joint Task Force-DC said in a written statement on Sunday that its personnel would only use force "as a last resort and solely in response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm."



Meanwhile, Trump, a Republican, has said he would probably expand his crime crackdown to Chicago, intervening in another city governed by Democrats. And on Sunday he suggested the possibility of deploying troops to Democratic-run Baltimore in Maryland.