US National Guard troops in Washington to begin carrying weapons, officials say

US National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington as part of what President Donald Trump said was his crackdown on crime were to begin carrying weapons on the night of Aug. 24, two officials said.

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The exact number of troops who would carry their weapons was fluid, but they will carry either their M17 pistols or M4 rifles, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

Hundreds of unarmed National Guard troops have been on Washington's streets for the past two weeks after Mr. Trump declared a crime emergency in the district. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week authorized the troops to carry weapons.

The Guard's Joint Task Force-DC said in a statement on Aug. 24 that its personnel would use force only "as a last resort and solely in response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm."

Meanwhile, Mr. Trump, a Republican, has said he would probably expand his crime crackdown to Chicago, intervening in another city governed by Democrats. And on Aug. 24, he suggested the possibility of deploying troops to Democratic-run Baltimore in Maryland.

Democratic House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Aug. 24 that Mr. Trump did not have the authority to deploy troops to Chicago even as the Pentagon carried out initial planning for a possible deployment.