National Guard in Washington DC may be ordered to carry guns; West Virginia to send troops

Members of the Washington DC National Guard are shown on Jefferson Drive SW during the week. President Donald Trump held a news conference the previous day in which he said DC was marked by "complete and total lawlessness". Photo / Peter W. Stevenson, The Washington Post

National Guard troops patrolling Washington DC may carry weapons in the near future, a reversal of their initial orders.

The troops are still awaiting written instructions from senior Defence Department officials, one of several people familiar with the planning said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the fluid situation.

Initial deployment orders specified that National Guard personnel, while wearing body armour, would leave their weapons at the armoury. “They will not be armed, nor will they have weapons in their vehicles,” an Army statement said.

The potential change came as West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said he would send 300 to 400 of his state’s National Guard troops in response to “a request from the Trump administration” to aid in the federal takeover of DC policing.

“As part of President Trump’s ongoing effort to make DC safe and beautiful, additional National Guard troops will be called in to Washington, DC – the National Guard’s role has not changed,” a White House spokesman said in an emailed response to questions. “The National Guard will protect federal assets, create a safe environment for law enforcement officials to carry out their duties when required and provide a visible presence to deter crime.”

The White House spokesman did not respond to questions about changes to the weapons policy, which states had been asked to send National Guard troops, or when they would be deployed. The people familiar with the matter said that additional troops were expected, potentially from a number of states.

“We are aware that other states want to participate,” said Captain Tinashe Machona, a DC National Guard spokesman. “However, at this time, we are unable to provide the specifics regarding the number of states.”

Machona referred other questions to the office of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, which referred questions back to the National Guard.

An Army spokesman, Major Montrell Russell, did not address the specifics of DC but said “Guard members may be armed consistent with their mission and training”.

About 800 troops from the DC National Guard have already mobilised, with 200 members on the streets at a time. In announcing the DC National Guard deployments, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told reporters on Thursday (local time) that the troops will not be conducting law enforcement activities during their mobilisation in DC.

Protests over the deployment of National Guard troops in DC have been sporadic. On Saturday (local time), a group confronted some service members on Constitution Ave with signs and chants of “Free DC” before police separated the crowd from the troops.

The Trump administration has cast the deployments as part of an effort to battle crime that is out of control, despite violent crime in DC being on a decline since 2023, the Washington Post previously reported.

During protests over the death of George Floyd in 2020, Trump augmented a deployment of the DC National Guard, which he controls, by asking for assistance from National Guard units in other states. Many red states answered the call, while governors in blue states baulked. The result was an unprecedented deployment in the nation’s capital that military historians said was supported almost entirely by troops sent by Republican governors.

Morrisey, the West Virginia Governor, said that his state’s National Guard deployment to DC will be funded at the federal level and that troops will be provided with mission-essential equipment and specialised training.

“West Virginia is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation’s capital,” Morrisey wrote in a statement. “The men and women of our National Guard represent the best of our state, and this mission reflects our shared commitment to a strong and secure America.”