Security escalation: US defence secretary arms National Guard in DC; Trump warns of full federal takeover

National Guard troops deployed across Washington, DC for US President Donald Trump’s law enforcement crackdown will now carry weapons, the Pentagon announced on Friday.The development marks another major crackdown by the MAGA chief, which he claims is aimed at curbing crime, poverty, and homelessness in one of the major blue states, signalling a sharp escalation in security measures.US defence secretary Pete Hegseth issued the order, though the Pentagon did not provide immediate details on why the decision was taken or what additional measures might follow. This development comes as nearly 2,000 National Guard members remain stationed in the city, including hundreds of troops sent in this week from Republican-led states.Until last week, both the Pentagon and Army had said that troops would not be armed while patrolling the streets.

However, plans for the National Guard to carry weapons had been communicated to city officials earlier this week, according to a source familiar with the discussions. The person, who was not authorised to speak publicly, shared the information on the condition of anonymity.Before the announcement, Trump took to Truth Social and said: "Washington, D.C. is SAFE AGAIN! The crowds are coming back, the spirit is high, and our D.C. National Guard and Police are doing a fantastic job. They are out in force, and are NOT PLAYING GAMES!!! As bad as it sounds to say, there were no murders this week for the first time in memory. Mayor Muriel Bowser must immediately stop giving false and highly inaccurate crime figures, or bad things will happen, including a complete and total Federal takeover of the City! Washington DC will soon be great again!!!”