National Guard troops on patrol in D.C. for President Trump's crime crackdown on the national capital began carrying weapons Sunday night, the U.S. military said.

The big picture: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized the action on Friday and a Joint Task Force-DC spokesperson confirmed they were "cleared to carry their service-issue weapon" late Sunday.

Go deeper: GOP-led states sending National Guard troops to D.C.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more photos and comment from the Defense Department's "rapid response" team.

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