Hegseth authorizes nearly 2,000 National Guard troops to carry weapons in DC
Stars and StripesSEP 2025
Troops in DC Authorized to Carry Service Weapons
Above: Pete Hegseth greets National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 20, 2025. Image credit: Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Trump's militarization of D.C represents executive overreach in a city where crime is at a 30-year low. Now that Guardsmen are allowed to carry weapons, there's a prospect of American troops on U.S. soil opening fire against American citizens, especially as most of them don't come from the communities they are in.
Republican narrative
National Guard troops have been crucial to restoring safety and order to America's capital city, producing immediate results with significant drops in violent incidents. It's only logical that they should be armed for self-defense if nothing else, as D.C. remains a troubled place despite its progress.
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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0