2 Guardsmen critical after shooting near White House, Trump orders 500 additional National Guard troops to DC

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 500 additional National Guard soldiers to Washington DC following the shooting of two Guardsmen near the White House.

Hegseth said his team was first informed that “two National Guardsmen had been shot and seriously injured in Washington, D.C.” “The shooter fired in a cowardly, despicable act targeting America’s finest,” he said, calling the attack intentional. he said.

He described the injured Guardsmen as serving out of loyalty to the country. “The heroes willing to serve in Washington, D.C., serve people they don’t know and have never met because they love their country, their capital, and their community,” he said. “They were willing to do dangerous things; others were not because they loved their fellow Americans.”

Hegseth said the attack targeted soldiers. “Someone decided to turn this into targeting the National Guard. This will only strengthen our resolve. We will never back down. We will secure our capital. We will secure our cities.”

The conflict took place near the government building. “In fact, this happened just steps away from the White House. This is not going to continue,” he said.

He then approved the new distribution request. “That’s why President Trump asked me, and I will ask the Secretary of the Army, to add 500 additional troops, National Guard, to Washington, D.C. This will only strengthen our resolve to make Washington, D.C. safe and beautiful.”

Recent efforts are already showing progress, Hegseth said. “The drop in crime has been historic. The increase in safety and security has been historic,” he said. But he added that the government would continue to respond decisively. “We will never back down if criminals want to do things like violence against America’s best. President Trump will never back down. That’s why the American people elected him.”

Early Wednesday (local time), two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot in Washington DC.
The guards engaged in a gunfight with the suspected attacker, who was detained and taken away from the scene on a stretcher.

Their conditions are unknown, according to West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey.

(This story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)