National Guard will carry weapons in Washington, DC, following new order

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. to be armed while patrolling the streets, officials with the Pentagon said Friday

The 2,000 troops are part of an initiative by President Trump to help support local law enforcement in our nation's capital after declaring a crime emergency

At the direction of the Secretary of Defense, JTFDC members supporting the mission to lower the crime rate in our nation's capital will soon be on a mission with their service-issued weapons consistent with their mission and training, an unidentified U.S. defense official told Fox News

Hegseth posted to X Friday calling the move common sense. Trump's out of the city a safer Friday morning while speaking to reporters from the Oval Office

By the way, in Washington, D.C., we have the lowest crime numbers they've had in years. Zero, it sounds like it's a horrible thing to say, but I might as well say it, zero murders in the last week since we've done this. That's the first time in memory that that's happened, if you can believe it, how pathetic that is to have to even say it

Straight Arrow News spoke with an officer inside the Metropolitan Police Department who confirms there has not been a murder in Washington, D.C. in the last week

The president said the National Guard will be deployed to other locations to help deter crime

I really am honored that the National Guard has done such an incredible job working with the police

And we haven't had to bring in the regular military, which we're willing to do

We have to. And after we do this we go to another location and we make it safe also We going to make our country very safe We going to make our cities very very safe According to the Associated Press this is a change from last week when officials said the troops would not be armed

Now, in the coming days, they will be able to carry weapons. It's unclear if a certain event led to the change

D.C. Mayor Mariel Bowser said Wednesday that crime in D.C. has been going down precipitously over the last two years because of local initiatives

And she doesn't agree with Trump's decision to mobilize the National Guard in her city

I don't think the National Guard should be used for law enforcement. And I don't, I think calling men and women from their homes and their jobs and their families

they have to be used on the, you know, on mission specific items that benefit the nation

I don't think you have an armed militia in the nation's capital

According to the latest crime stats released by Metro PD Friday in 2024, violent crime in D.C. was down by 35 percent from 2023 and property crime was down by 11 percent

So, for example, in 2023, there were 274 homicides in the city and that number decreased 187 homicides in 2024

Now, so far in 2025, MPD says violent crime is down 27 percent from 2024 and property crime is down 8 percent

The National Guard troops are not authorized to make arrests in Washington, D.C

For Straight Arrow News, I'm Lauren Keenan. If you want more on this story, download the Straight Arrow News app or visit san.com