National Guard troops mobilized in Washington, D.C., are preparing to carry weapons in the coming days, according to a new report.
Some troops were told to expect an order to start carrying weapons late Friday, though no official order had come as of Saturday morning, The Wall Street Journal reports. This comes after the U.S. Army said in a statement that “weapons are available if needed but will remain in the armory.”
President Donald Trump mobilized about 800 members of the D.C. National Guard in the nation’s capital this week. As of Thursday, about 200 troops were on the streets of D.C., the Defense Department said. Now, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey is set to send additional National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., at the request of the Trump administration
The West Virginia National Guard will provide “mission-essential equipment, specialized training, and approximately 300-400 skilled personnel as directed,” according to a Saturday statement from Morrisey’s office. The mission, which will be “funded at the federal level,” is a show of “commitment to public safety and regional cooperation,” the statement adds.
More states could follow in West Virginia’s footsteps.
A White House official told The Independent that the National Guard’s role has not changed, and “additional National Guard troops will be called in to Washington DC.”
“The National Guard will protect federal assets, create a safe environment for law enforcement officials to carry out their duties when required, and provide a visible presence to deter crime,” the official said.
D.C. National Guard spokesman Capt. Tinashe Machona told The Washington Post that other states want to participate in the mission, but he couldn’t provide a specific number.
The Independent has contacted the Washington, D.C. National Guard for comment.
Trump claimed he mobilized troops and federalized D.C. police in response to “out of control” crime that was getting worse. However, data shows that violent crime in Washington, D.C. has been decreasing since 2023. Violent crime in D.C. even hit its lowest point in more than 30 years in 2024, according to the Justice Department.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called Trump’s takeover of the police force an “authoritarian push” on Tuesday.
Trump threatened a D.C. takeover earlier this month after Edward Coristine, a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer, was assaulted in an attempted carjacking. Coristine, 19, is better known by his online nickname “Big Balls.”
“I have to say that somebody from DOGE was very badly hurt…a young man who was beat up by a bunch of thugs in DC, and either they’re gonna straighten their act out in the terms of government and in terms of protection or we’re gonna have to federalize and run it the way it’s supposed to be run,” Trump said on August 5.
Trump also said he was placing the D.C. police under federal control this week. The Justice Department then attempted to name DEA Administrator Terry Cole as the Metropolitan Police Department’s “emergency police commissioner.” D.C. sued in a response, challenging the administration’s appointment of Cole and its attempts to assert control over the department.
Following an emergency court hearing on Friday, the Trump administration walked back its order, allowing the D.C. government and current police chief Pamela Smith to retain control over the department.
Attorney General Pam Bondi instead named Cole her “designee.”
“I have just issued a new directive to Mayor Bowser requiring MPD to provide the services found necessary by my designee, @DEAHQ Administrator Terry Cole, to comply fully and completely with federal immigration law and authorities, regardless of any policies MPD might otherwise have,” Bondi wrote on X.
“Unfortunately, the DC Attorney General continues to oppose our efforts to improve public safety in Washington, DC,” she added.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb celebrated the judge’s decision on Friday.
“The outcome of today’s hearing is a win for Home Rule and upholds the District’s right to operate its own local police force,” he wrote on X. “The Court recognized that it was clearly unlawful for the Administration to try to seize control of the Metropolitan Police Department. Chief Smith and @MayorBowser rightfully remain in command of MPD.”
