National Guard troops deployed to Washington DC are preparing to carry weapons in the coming days, as per a report by Wall Street Journal. It is shift that follows President Trump’s pledge to “take back” the capital from what he described as violent criminals.
Defence officials had initially said the 800 Guard soldiers sent to the city would not be armed, unlike many federal law enforcement officers deployed to the capital. The US Army said on Thursday that “weapons are available if needed but will remain in the armoury.”
By late Friday, some Guard members were told to expect an order to carry weapons, though as of Saturday morning no formal directive had been issued, a Defence Department official said. The Pentagon referred questions to the Army, which did not respond.
Since their arrival on Tuesday, Guard troops have mainly served as a visible presence, handling administrative, logistical, and “area beautification” tasks. Some have parked military vehicles on the National Mall, while others stationed Humvees outside Union Station, among commuters and travellers. Law enforcement duties remain with federal officers, who have been conducting arrests and patrols as part of Trump’s broader security surge.
Pentagon officials said the Guard is trained in de-escalation tactics and would adopt a role similar to their deployment in Los Angeles in June, when Trump mobilised more than 4,000 Guard members, 700 Marines, and other federal agents in response to immigration-related protests. That deployment sparked criticism after images showed Guard vehicles near immigration checkpoints and Marines backing ICE teams.
Washington officials voiced concerns about repeating that scenario. “National Guard soldiers are trained for warfare and natural disasters, not for community policing,” District Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said on Monday, accusing Trump of “trying to create compelling TV.”
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth signalled a more active role for Guard members. “We’re not going to have National Guards sitting there like this,” he said in a Fox News interview on Monday, crossing his arms, “seeing a crime committed and not do something about it.”
Trump, flanked by Hegseth, announced on Monday that he was sending Guard forces to Washington and placing the city’s police department under federal control. He said he was acting to restore law and order, describing the capital as “overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals.”
But federal data points to a different trend. Violent crime in the District of Columbia dropped 35% last year from 2023 levels, reaching its lowest rate in more than three decades. Homicides, robberies, armed carjackings, and assaults with dangerous weapons all fell, Justice Department figures show.
Unlike state National Guards, which report to governors unless federalised, the DC Guard answers directly to the president through the Secretaries of Defence and the Army. Trump’s order to Hegseth said the mobilisation would remain in effect “until I determine that conditions of law and order have been restored in the District of Columbia.”
– Ends
With inputs from agencies
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