Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signed an order authorizing National Guard troops deployed in Washington, D.C. to carry weapons if their mission requires it, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The new authority is expected to be acted on in coming days, the person said.
Hegseth’s decision paves the way for the nearly 2,000 troops now mobilized in the nation’s capital to expand their operations significantly, including possible security patrols in neighborhoods that struggle with crime.
In a visit to Guard personnel on Thursday, President Donald Trump suggested the military personnel would be playing a larger role in law enforcement in the city.
“You got to be strong, you got to be tough,” Trump told Guard personnel at the U.S. Park Police Anacostia Operations Facility. “You got to do your job. Whatever it takes to do your job.”
MORE: No patrol but Trump visits police, military in DC as he touts anti-crime push
A defense official on Friday confirmed the development in a statement provided to ABC News.
“At the direction of the Secretary of Defense, [joint task force DC] members supporting the mission to lower the crime rate in our Nation’s capital will soon be on mission with their service-issued weapons, consistent with their mission and training,” the official wrote.
The commanding general of the D.C. National Guard “retains the authority to make any necessary force posture adjustments in coordination with the D.C. Metropolitan Police and Federal law enforcement partners,” the statement added. “The D.C. National Guard remains committed to safeguarding the District of Columbia and serving those who live, work, and visit the District.”
Last week, Trump declared that crime in D.C. was out of control and that he would take over D.C. police operations. He also ordered 800 members of the D.C. National Guard to report to active duty.
Working in shifts, the troops began arriving in small numbers at popular tourist spots like the Washington Monument along the National Mall, where crime is relatively low. Standing alongside armored Humvees, the unarmed soldiers and airman could be seen posing for pictures with tourists and talking with children.
Trump though has moved to expand the effort considerably, requesting additional troops from nearby states. So far, six Republican governors have complied, with troops arriving this week from Louisiana, Tennessee, Ohio, South Carolina and Mississippi.
The military task force overseeing the operation said that most of those troops were in place as of Thursday morning, bringing the force size in the nation’s capital up to nearly 2,000.
In his visit to the Guard troops on Thursday, Trump suggested the troops could stay for six months or longer.
“You do the job on safety, and I’ll get this place fixed up physically, and we’re going to be so proud of it at the end of six months,” he said.
“But let’s say at the end of the year, this place will be maxed out in terms of beauty. You’ll have all new surfaces. You’ll have all new medians, everything’s going to look beautiful,” he added.
Historically, presidents have relied upon the National Guard to secure cities in only extraordinary circumstances, such as large-scale events like the presidential inauguration or in response to riots, like the Jan. 6, 2021, protests at the Capitol.
Violent crime levels in the city have decreased compared to years prior, down 26% since 2024, a 30-year low, according to crime stats released by the D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department.
On Wednesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser criticized Trump’s use of the Guard as an “armed militia in the Nation’s Capital.”
“Crime has gone down in our city and it has gone down precipitously over the last two years because of a lot of hard work, changes to our public safety ecosystem, including changes to the law,” Bowser said.
ABC News’ Karen Travers and Arthur Jones contributed to this report.
