US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered National Guard personnel deployed on the streets of the capital to be armed during patrols, marking a further escalation of the Trump administration's offensive against crime in Washington, DC.
The decision comes after President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of the National Guard to the city earlier in August, as well as placing local police forces under federal control. According to the president, “crime in the capital was out of control” and immediate intervention was needed.
Just last week, the Pentagon announced that the troops involved in this mission — about 2,000 troops — would not carry weapons during patrols. However, with the latest order, they will patrol armed with their service weapons.
“We will not allow our cities to be plunged into chaos,” Trump declared Friday from the Oval Office. “The capital was turned into hell, and now it is safe,” he added, warning that a similar mission could soon be launched in Chicago, another Democratic city where clashes between the federal and local administrations have become common.
The presidential administration has hailed the mission as a success in improving public safety. However, polls show that Washingtonians - who lean largely Democratic - do not support this military intervention in civilian life.
Mayor Muriel Bowser's office has not yet commented on the decision to arm the troops. Until now, National Guard troops had only been engaged in patrols and had not participated in special operations conducted by police or federal agencies.
The situation in the capital is expected to remain in the public and media's attention in the coming weeks, as tensions between local authorities and the federal government continue to rise.
