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The Pentagon has confirmed that some members of the National Guard deployed to Washington, DC, have begun carrying service-issued firearms.

Getting into it: The decision to arm National Guard troops followed a directive signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth late last week, which authorized personnel assigned to certain security-related missions to carry their service-issued weapons. According to a statement from the Joint Task Force–DC, the majority of armed troops are carrying pistols, while a smaller number, primarily those with military police designations, are equipped with rifles. These weapons are authorized for use strictly as a last resort and only in response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.

Armed troops have been visibly stationed in key areas throughout the city, including tourist-heavy zones such as Union Station. Some troops wear “MP” patches, identifying them as military police. A spokeswoman said the decision to arm troops is also tied to expected security demands with schools reopening, noting that Guard personnel may assist local police at Metro stops and other transit points.

This comes as roughly 2,300 Guard troops have been deployed in total, including more than 900 from the DC National Guard and approximately 1,300 from Republican-led states such as West Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Their presence is part of President Trump’s “Safe and Beautiful” executive initiative, which combines crime deterrence with civic cleanup. Though critics argue the crime levels in DC do not warrant such a militarized response, Trump has framed the deployment as a success, claiming it has already made the capital “safe again.”

Trump’s DOJ has also questioned crime data released by DC’s police department, with a formal investigation opened to determine if the data was manipulated. This follows the suspension of a top DC official months ago who allegedly manipulated violent crime data.