Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signed a memo authorizing National Guard troops deployed in Washington to carry weapons if their mission requires it.

Up to 1,700 National Guardsmen will deploy across 19 states to support ICE in President Trump’s immigration crackdown, effectively serving as support for an interagency effort.

In case you haven't heard, Donald Trump signed an executive order that effectively put Washington, DC under federal control. He seized authority over the local police and deployed 800 National Guard troops to the city.

The White House offered a livestream of Trump’s Thursday evening appearance, and on Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a surprise visit to Union Station, D.C.’s busy transit hub, to thank members of the National Guard over Shake Shack burgers.

D.C. National Guard vehicle crashed into a civilian car on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning, injuring one person amid Trump's crime crackdown deployment.

President Donald Trump announced he is “going out” on patrol in Washington, D.C. on Thursday night alongside the National Guard and the police. Trump’s announcement sparked widespread mockery on social media platform X,