National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., have been told they should prepare to carry weapons in the nation's capital despite previous assurances from officials that the troops would not be armed, according to a Saturday report by The Wall Street Journal .

When reached for comment, the D.C. Army National Guard told Newsweek that "Guard members may be armed consistent with their mission and training."

Newsweek reached out to the White House by email outside of normal business hours on Saturday afternoon for comment.

The Pentagon directed Newsweek to speak with the Washington Guard when reached by email for comment. Meanwhile, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's office told Newsweek it had no comment at this time.

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