National Guard troops patrolling Washington, D.C., at the direction of President Donald Trump began carrying service weapons as of Sunday evening.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized members of the Guard to carry weapons on Friday, but did not give specifics on how often or how many service members would be armed. The direction marks a shift in tone for the National Guard members, who have mostly been aiding law enforcement with community safety patrols, traffic control, and crowd flow.
Majority of the guard members will carry M17 pistols, their service-issued weapons, and a small number of troops will be armed with their service M4 rifles, according to NBC News. Troops have been authorized to use their weapons for self-protection and “as a last resort” in response to an “imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm,” the federal task force said.
Members of the National Guard cannot make arrests, but can support law enforcement.
More than 1,900 troops from the National Guards in Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina, and West Virginia have been sent to Washington, D.C. at the direction of their governors.
The military force in the city stands at more than 2,000 service members, more than 60% of which are from out of the district.
Trump federalized the Metropolitan Police Department and sent troops into Washington, D.C., more than two weeks ago with the goal of curbing perceived high crime. In the week starting August 12, which was the first full day the Trump administration had control over the local police, the city saw a moderate drop in reported crime and a larger increase in immigration related arrests, according to CNN.
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Trump has said he will target Chicago and New York to deploy troops next, comments which have elicited strong pushback from Democratic leaders in both states.
The deployment of the National Guard to D.C. is uncommon, as the military force is typically only called for natural disasters or during times of civil unrest.