National Guard members are now carrying firearms in Washington, D.C., raising concerns from civil rights groups and residents in the nation’s capital that armed troops could escalate growing tensions as Donald Trump’s federal takeover enters a third week.
As of Sunday evening, the troops will now be armed with handguns or rifles, just two days after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the nearly 2,000 troops stationed in Washington to start carrying firearms, a Defense Department official told the Associated Press.
