Soldiers of the National Guard on the streets of Washington to begin carrying weapons
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington, as part of President Donald Trump’s measures for stricter law enforcement, to begin carrying firearms, the Pentagon announced today.
This step represents an escalation of Trump’s intervention in the work of the police in the U.S. capital and comes at a time when nearly 2,000 members of the National Guard are stationed in the city under Democratic authority, after hundreds of soldiers from several Republican states arrived this week.
Trump initially sent 800 members of the District of Columbia National Guard to assist federal law enforcement agencies in efforts to crack down on crime, homelessness, and illegal immigration.
The Pentagon and the military announced last week that soldiers would not be carrying weapons. The new guidelines stipulate that they will carry official firearms. The soldiers did not participate in law enforcement and mostly protected local landmarks.
Trump boasted that the city is safer than ever thanks to his intervention. Today he told reporters that it was “a miracle what happened.” “Washington was a hellish place,” he said. “But now it is safe.” He noted that he could extend the presence of troops and federal agents in Washington.
Trump stated that he would ask Congress for two billion dollars to improve the city’s appearance, including road reconstruction and replacement of street lighting. Earlier, he had promised to improve the grass throughout the city to resemble one of his golf courses. “It will be safe and it will be beautified,” he said, reports danas.rs.
