National Guard in Washington DC to be armed amid crime crackdown
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the arms of the National Guard personnel who patrolled on the streets of Washington DC as the criminal pressure of the Trump administration continued in the capital.
At the beginning of August, Trump ordered Washington union and took control of the police force to combat what he described as the “out -of -control” crime in the city.
Last week, the Pentagon and the US army said that the troops in the distribution, which is now about 2,000, will not carry weapons.
While the Trump administration praises the mission, surveys show that there are not deeply popular with many inhabitants in a solid democratic Washington.
Pentagon said in a statement that the national guard troops will “soon be in charge with their duties and training weapons.”
It is unclear whether the decision of arming troops means that their duties in Washington have changed.
So far, the troops, local police and various federal institutions have not participated in law enforcement operations carried out, instead of the capital’s primary passenger rail transport center, including the national shopping center and Union Station, including local ground signs.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has never commented on the decision.
Speaking at the White House Oval Office on Friday, Trump said that the task brought Washington “total security” and the leadership of the task can sometimes be expanded to Chicago, another democratic city that contradicted the Trump administration.
“DC was a hell hole,” said Friday, a day after visiting some troops deployed. “But now it’s safe.”
According to the US media report, about 1,700 national guards are expected to take action in 19 states in the coming weeks. Texas, one of the states waiting for the existence of national guards, will have the most units.
It is reported that the guards will support immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) efforts and serve as a visible deterrent.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson responded to Trump’s comments and said in a statement that he did not receive any information about the deployment of national guards in Chicago.
The authority said that the city government has “serious concerns” about any deployment of troops, and that the President label the President’s approach “as unmissable, non -coordinated and non -intact”.
Johnson, “illegal deployment” “inhabitants and law enforcement officers can exacerbate the tensions” and the city can threaten to reduce crime, he added.
Although the Washington DC mission has declared a success, Trump said he was considering declare a national emergency when the 30 -day deadline of the deployment ends.
“If I think we’re in a very situation here, it’s something. But if I don’t, I will say that it is a national emergency,” he said. “If I have a national emergency, I can keep the troops here as much as I want.”
A few states led by the Republic, including South Carolina and Western Virginia, also contributed to this pressure.
In addition, Trump said he would ask the Congress to help the city to beautify the city ($ 1.48 billion). Earlier this year, the Congress, under the control of the Republic, accepted the legislation that saw Washington’s budget a total of $ 1.1 billion.
On Friday morning, the Chief Public Prosecutor Pam Bondi said that the operation clarified more than 700 arrests, including 40 on Thursday, and seized 91 illegal firearms.
Local officials questioned the need for federal intervention in the city, where Mayor Bowser claims to be “30 -year violent crime low”.
A survey conducted by the Washington Post and Schar School found a survey in the beginning of this week, which was deeply popular among the inhabitants of the city, and almost 80% of them opposed the deployment of both federal officers and national guards and the inheritance of the Metropolitan Police Department.
