National Guard troops in dc authorized to carry weapons amid crime allegations

In the United States, National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., were authorized to carry weapons as part of a new initiative to combat what President Donald Trump described as a crime emergency in the nation's capital. This decision came after a series of events that led to the deployment of approximately 2,300 National Guard personnel from various states, initiated by Trump's executive order earlier this month. Previously, these troops had been patrolling the streets without firearms. The situation escalated on August 25, 2025, when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth officially approved the carrying of weapons for personal protection, including M17 pistols, as part of their law enforcement duties. This deployment has garnered significant criticism from local officials, including D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who argued that the use of the National Guard was unnecessary due to the declining crime rates in the city. Statistics indicated a marked decrease in crime, particularly violent crime, which was recorded at a 30-year low. Critics of the federal action pointed out that crime had been decreasing due to local reforms and dismissed Trump's claims of an out-of-control crime crisis. The local law enforcement had also expressed concerns regarding the militarization of the police in D.C. Trump's administration has faced pushback for these actions, suggesting that the federal takeover may be politically motivated rather than a mere safety measure, as the D.C. government argued about the efficacy of their own crime-fighting strategies. As the National Guard began its armed patrols, tensions continued to rise between federal officials and local authorities.