The National Guard troops helping with duties in D.C., including traffic control, are now armed.

NBC News reports that beginning Sunday night, approximately 2,000 guard troops deployed to Washington, D.C. will now be armed—most with standard-issue M17 pistols, though a handful will carry M4 assault rifles. The move comes two days after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a new order to arm D.C. crackdown troops, which the former Fox News host called “common sense.”

NBC News reports that the troops are authorized to use their weapons to protect themselves and “as a last resort” in the event of “imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm,” though they are not currently making arrests. Their role is to work with local police on duties including protecting national landmarks and assi

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