National Guard begins carrying guns in the District of Columbia as Trump says Chicago may be next | Washington DC

Some National Guard troops patrol the U.S. capital Donald Trump Already started carrying guns, this is an escalation for the president Military deployment This led to his Defense Department’s issuance of a directive in the second half of last week.

A Defense Department official who has no authorization to speak publicly said about certain tasks Washington, DC Will be armed – some paired with pistols, some are rifles. The spokesman said all units with guns were trained and operated under strict rules on the use of force.

An Associated Press photographer saw a member of the South Carolina National Guard outside Union Station on Sunday, pistol pistol.

Joint Task Force’s Statement Takes Over Police Washington, DC Saying that the troops began carrying their service weapons on Sunday, the military’s rules say it should be “as a last resort only, but merely to deal with the threat of impending death or serious bodily injury.” It said the troops are committed to protecting the “safety and well-being” of Washington residents.

Defense officials who spoke with the Associated Press said only certain missions would carry guns, including those patrolling people to establish law enforcement officers throughout the capital. Those who work in transportation or administration may be futile.

Now, thousands of National Guard and federal law enforcement officers are patrolling the streets of the area, causing sporadic protests from local residents.

develop trump cardThe extraordinary effort to cover national and local government law enforcement agencies is because he is considering extending deployment to other democratically-led cities including Baltimore, Chicago and New York.

Earlier Sunday, the president responded to the Maryland governor’s proposal to visit Baltimore with him, saying he might “send ‘troops’.”

Democratic Gov. Wes Moore criticized Trump’s unprecedented flexibility in federal power aimed at combating crime and homelessness in Washington. Moore invited Trump to visit his state last week to discuss public safety and walk down the street.

Trump said in Sunday’s Truth Society post that Moore asked “in a rather annoying and provocative tone” and then raised the ghost, repeating the National Guard deployment he opposed to California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in Los Angeles.

“Wes Moore’s record of crime is very bad unless he covers up his own crime numbers like many other “blue states,” Trump wrote. “But if Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in Los Angeles, I’ll send a ‘troop’ that is going on in nearby DC and quickly clearing the crime.”

Moore said he invited Trump to Maryland “because he seemed to love living in this happy ignorance” to increase the crime rate in Baltimore. Baltimore’s violent crime rate has fallen after a surge during the pandemic that matches national trends.

According to city data, the 200 homicides reported last year fell 24% from the previous year and 42% since 2021. Between 2023 and 2024, overall violent crime fell by nearly 8%, and property crime fell by 20%.

“The president has been spending all his time talking about me,” Moore told the nation on Sunday. “I spend time talking about the people I serve.”

Moore said in a fundraising email that Trump “spouted a bunch of lies about public safety in Maryland.”

In Washington, violent crime has been at its lowest level in more than 30 years. Still, Trump soared over the National Guard and federal law enforcement, with a sudden burst of protests throughout the city over the weekend, while some of the usual bustling corners were noticeably quiet. In the most populous areas, residents often ride in a small group of National Guards, often talking between them. Arrest and detention videos circulating on social media.

Trump says Chicago New York is likely to be his next target, which has triggered a strong counterattack from Democratic leaders in both states. The Washington Post reported Saturday that the Pentagon has spent weeks preparing for its operations in Chicago, including the National Guard and potential active-duty troops.

Asked about the post report, the White House pointed to Trump’s previous comments, discussing his desire to expand his military power to target local crimes.

“I think Chicago will be our next one. Then, we will help New York,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday.

Trump has repeatedly described some of the largest cities in the United States as being run by Democrats, black mayors and a majority-area population-is dangerous and dirty. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Moore are both black. There are also black mayors in the District of Columbia and New York.

Rev. Al Sharpton, speaking at a religious event at Howard University in Washington on Sunday, said the Guard’s presence in the U.S. capital has nothing to do with crime: “It’s about doing an analysis of us.”

“It’s full of paranoia and racism,” civil rights activists later elaborated to reporters. “No white mayor was designated. I think it’s a civil rights issue, a racial issue, and a DC country issue.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, said there is no emergency guarantee to deploy the National Guard in Chicago.

“Donald Trump attempted to create a crisis, politicize serving Americans and continue to abuse his power to distract him from causing family pain,” Pritzker wrote on X.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, explain The city does not need a “military occupation” and prosecutes to block one. He said there was no communication from the White House on possible military deployments.

“We will not surrender our humanity to this tyrant,” Johnson said on MSNBC on Sunday.