Pete Hegseth, National Guard
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered National Guard troops to start carrying firearms while patrolling the streets of Washington for President Donald Trump's law enforcement crackdown, the Pentagon said Friday.
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and a trio of senior department officials with ties to the National Guard paid a visit to roughly 300 mobilized National Guardsmen at the D.C. Armory in Washington Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. The four leaders thanked the Soldiers and airmen for their efforts to increase safety throughout the city.
An estimated 1,900 troops are being deployed in D.C. with more than half are coming from GOP-led states responding to the Trump admin.
Vice President JD Vance joined Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller at Washington’s Union Station to greet National Guard troops deployed to the capital.