Members of the West Virginia National Guard patrol the National Mall, on Sunday, August 24, 2025, in Washington.
| Photo Credit: AP
Some National Guard units patrolling the nation’s capital at the direction of President Donald Trump have started carrying firearms, an escalation of his military deployment that makes good on a directive issued late last week by his defense secretary.
A Defense Department official who was not authorized to speak publicly said some units on certain missions would be armed — some with handguns and others with rifles. The spokesperson said that all units with firearms have been trained and are operating under strict rules for use of force.
An Associated Press photographer on Sunday (August 24, 2025) saw members of the South Carolina National Guard outside Union Station with holstered handguns.
Members of the South Carolina National Guard patrol the platform of the Washington Metro Gallery Place station in Washington, on Sunday, August 24, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
AP
The development in Mr. Trump’s extraordinary effort to override the law enforcement authority of state and local governments comes as he is considering expanding the deployments to other Democratic-led cities, including Baltimore, Chicago and New York.
President Donald Trump on Sunday (August 24, 2025) threatened to expand his military deployments to more Democratic-led cities, responding to an offer by Maryland’s governor to join him in a tour of Baltimore by saying he might instead “send in the troops.’”
His latest pledge to ramp up the military’s presence in ‘left-leaning’ cities came as at least some National Guard units in the nation’s capital began carrying weapons over the weekend, making good on a directive issuedon Friday by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The most recent developments in Mr. Trump’s extraordinary effort to override the law enforcement authority of state and local governments came after he said he was considering Chicago and New York for troop deployments similar to what he has unleashed on the nation’s capital. Thousands of National Guard and federal law enforcement officers are now patrolling the district’s streets, drawing sporadic protests from local residents.
Mr. Trump made the threat to Baltimore in a spat with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat who has criticized Trump’s unprecedented flex of federal power aimed at combatting crime and homelessness in Washington. Mr. Moore last week invited Mr. Trump to visit his state to discuss public safety and walk the streets.
Published – August 25, 2025 07:27 am IST
