US National Guard members deployed to Washington, DC, started carrying their sidearms on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Joint Task Force carrying out the mission told CNN.

This follows a directive by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week that authorized members of the National Guard, who were deployed as part of President Donald Trump’s anti-crime agenda in the nation’s capital, to begin carrying weapons.

The directive marked a notable shift in guidance from the Pentagon, which had previously indicated that National Guard members could be armed if the circumstances warranted.

A CNN reporter witnessed two guard members carrying long guns Sunday evening in The Wharf, a popular waterfront neighborhood.

For weeks, Trump has ramped up efforts to crack down on crime in Washington, DC,

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