According to a Guard spokesperson on Sunday, members of the D.C. National Guard who are now patrolling Washington as part of the Trump administration’s intention to increase policing may soon be armed.
Last Wednesday, the Army declared that Guard soldiers would not be making arrests or carrying guns.
But in a statement released to NPR on Sunday, Army Senior Master Sgt. Craig Clapper said, “Guard members may be armed consistent with their mission and training.”
“Their presence is focused on supporting civil authorities and ensuring the safety of the community they serve,” said Clapper. “The DC National Guard remains committed to assisting the District of Columbia and serving its residents and visitors whenever called upon.”
President Trump said earlier this month that hundreds of federal law enforcement officers and members of the National Guard will be sent to the nation’s capital as part of the federal government’s takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department.
On Thursday, the Army announced that the weapons of Guard members would be kept in the armory for use if necessary. In public spaces, guards would not make arrests but instead act as a “visible crime deterrent,” according to the statement, and would be outfitted with body armor and other personal protection equipment.
Federal armed troops are prohibited from participating in civilian law enforcement activities by the Posses Comitatus Act unless they are “expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress.” However, some National Guard personnel stationed in American cities—like those who have lately assisted in patrolling the New York City transportation system—do carry firearms.
The police presence in D.C. was increased by Trump, who claimed that the city had been “overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people.”
According to crime statistics, the city’s violent crime rate has actually decreased by 26% over the previous year.
Residents and governmental leaders expressed outrage at the action, claiming that Trump’s plan constituted an overreach by the federal government.
Washington, D.C.As stated by Mayor Muriel Bowser on Friday, the city’s “limited self-government has never faced the type of test we are facing right now.”On Saturday, hundreds of people protested the police surge in the city.
The Rev. Ronald Bell Jr. focused his sermon on Trump’s crackdown and the National Guard personnel’ presence on the streets on Sunday at the Asbury United Methodist Church, one of the city’s primarily Black congregations.
Bell, who was a preacher in Minnesota when the riots broke out when George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis in 2020, expressed his optimism that Black leaders would steer the community away from clashes with federal authorities and troops. “I think we have learned lessons from the past,” he stated. “I think we are well equipped to handle this moment.”
Former Metropolitan Police Department reserve officer Rosa Brooks, who is currently a Georgetown Law School professor, expressed concern about the National Guard members’ presence on the capital’s streets despite their lack of training in routine law enforcement.
“I think what we’re seeing is the effort to habituate people to the idea that you’re going to have armed federal personnel in your business, asking questions, stopping you, and that’s just truly scary,” Brooks stated.
However, there are also others who appreciate the District’s increased police presence. Three Republican governors announced on Saturday that they will deploy members of the National Guard to Washington to support the federal personnel already stationed in the nation’s capital: West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio.
Since Aug. 7, authorities have arrested 308 people in Washington, including 135 illegal immigrants, according to a White House official who is not permitted to publicly release particular data. They stated that about 53 firearms were confiscated.
“Our nation’s capital is becoming safer very quickly thanks to President Trump’s bold leadership,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement on Sunday. More than 300 dangerous felons have already been apprehended and removed from the streets of Washington, D.C., in less than ten days. As promised during the campaign, President Trump is cleaning up this city and bringing back American greatness to our beloved capital.
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