Hegseth authorizes National Guard troops in D.C. to carry weapons

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signed an order authorizing roughly 2,000 of the National Guard troops deployed to Washington, D.C., to carry weapons, two U.S. officials told NBC News

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signed an order authorizing roughly 2,000 of the National Guard troops deployed to Washington, D.C., to carry weapons, two U.S. officials told NBC News.

In recent weeks, hundreds of National Guard members fanned out across the nation’s capital as part of what the White House has framed as an urgent crackdown on crime and lawlessness. The troops in Washington have been unarmed. They have mostly been sent out to assist local law enforcement officers in parts of Washington known for tourism, such as the National Mall.

The two U.S. officials said Hegseth’s authorization will be approved by the U.S. Marshals Service, an agency of the Justice Department. Guard members who are supporting law enforcement functions will likely carry weapons, whereas troops who are assigned to beautification tasks across the district likely won’t be armed, the officials told NBC News.

“At the direction of the Secretary of Defense, JTF-DC members supporting the mission to lower the crime rate in our Nation’s capital will soon be on mission with their service-issued weapons, consistent with their mission and training,” a U.S. defense official said, using the acronym for Washington’s joint task force.

The task force confirmed on Friday that guard members will carry M17 pistols “intended for personal protection.”