National Guard troops deployed to Washington will soon be armed, according to the Pentagon.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the change, according to an Aug. 22 statement to The Epoch Times from the Department of Defense.
A Pentagon duty officer told The Epoch Times that the guard members will soon use their service-issued weapons, “consistent with their mission and training,” while working to “lower the crime rate in our nation’s capital.”
The officer said, “The D.C. National Guard remains committed to safeguarding the District of Columbia and serving those who live, work, and visit the District.”
The guardsmen are patrolling the nation’s capital after Trump federalized control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department on Aug. 11, ordering about 800 National Guard troops to assist with law enforcement….