Nearly 2,300 National Guard troops stationed in Washington, D.C., are now carrying their service-issued weapons, including M-17 pistols and M-4 rifles. This is not symbolic. It’s a deliberate, practical escalation aimed at restoring real order in the nation's capitol that has spent far too long under the grip of rising crime, lenient prosecutors, and far-left politicians.
President Donald Trump has sent a clear message by arming the troops protecting the city that the days of looking the other way while violence, theft, and lawlessness spread unchecked are over. The National Guardsmen aren’t there for optics; they’re there to support law enforcement, protect key infrastructure, and deter the kind of criminal activity that has turned too many American cities into cautionary tales.
NEW: The nearly 2,300 National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. are now armed with their service-issued weapons, which may include M-17 pistols or M-4 rifles, according to ABC News.
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) August 24, 2025
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This is what leadership looks like. While the usual critics are quick to cry “militarization,” the reality is simple: people want safe streets, not slogans. For years, soft policies and political pandering have let chaos take root. Now, with trained personnel equipped and ready, D.C. residents finally have a force on the ground that means business.
Earlier this month, President Trump triggered Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act, taking control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police and deploying roughly 800 National Guard troops, later bolstered by reinforcements from other states. The operation escalated quickly, with federal agencies like the FBI, ICE, ATF, and U.S. Marshals saturating key neighborhoods. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the Guard to carry their service weapons—a move the administration called common sense but which D.C. officials denounced as heavy-handed. The operation has led to over 700 arrests and the seizure of 91 firearms, though local leaders have questioned both the numbers and the necessity of federal intervention. Trump has signaled this is just the beginning. He’s named Chicago, Baltimore, and even New York as possible following targets for similar crackdowns. Pentagon planning is reportedly underway for a Chicago deployment, despite no request from local or state officials. Leaders in Illinois, including Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) and Gov. JB Pritzker (D), slammed the proposal as uncoordinated, politically driven, and potentially unconstitutional—arguing that crime in the city has already dropped significantly without outside interference.