Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., to carry weapons on patrol, according to multiple reports.
The nearly 2,000 troops “will soon be on mission with their service-issued weapons, consistent with their mission and training,” Fox News reported late Friday morning, citing an unnamed U.S. defense official.
It’s been over two weeks since the start of what the Trump administration is referring to as a crime crackdown, despite crime declining in recent years. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb called it a “hostile takeover” as he sued President Donald Trump and other administration officials.
Last week, Trump announced he had placed the Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control and deployed about 800 National Guard troops to D.C.
“I’m announcing a historic action to rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor, and worse,” he said.
The number of National Guard troops in the capital has grown to nearly 2,000, with Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina and West Virginia sending soldiers.
“The Interim Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard retains the authority to make any necessary force posture adjustments in coordination with the D.C. Metropolitan Police and Federal law enforcement partners,” the defense official told Fox News. “The D.C. National Guard remains committed to safeguarding the District of Columbia and serving those who live, work, and visit the District.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on X Friday morning there have been 719 arrests made and 91 illegal guns seized in D.C. since Trump’s federal takeover.
“Just yesterday we made 40 arrests, took 5 more illegal firearms off our streets, and had 36 ICE arrests—including a suspected MS-13 gang member,” she said. “Thank you @POTUS for your unwavering support to make DC safe again!”
Despite the Trump administration painting D.C. as a crime-ridden city, statistics released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. in January showed violent crime went down by 35 percent in 2024, a 30-year low, after peaking in 2023.
Trump thanked roughly 300 men and women from the Metropolitan Police Department, National Guard, Homeland Security Investigations and other federal agencies during a photo op at the U.S. Park Police facility in Anacostia Thursday evening.
“We’ve had some incredible results that have come out, and it’s like a different place. It’s like a different city. It’s the capital. It’s going to be the best in the world,” the president told the crowd.
