The National Guard began carrying weapons Sunday in the US capital Washington, where President Donald Trump has deployed more than 2,200 troops as part of a crackdown on crime, the military said.

"Starting the late evening of August 24, 2025, JTF-DC service members began carrying their service-issued weapon," the Joint Task Force-DC -- to which the National Guard troops are assigned -- said in a statement.

They are only authorized to use force "as a last resort and solely in response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm," the statement said.

A US defense official had said on Friday that troops deployed in Washington would "soon" be carrying weapons, which were previously available if needed but kept in the armory.

The National Guard troops come from overwhelmingly Demo

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