US considers arming National Guard soldiers deployed in Washington

Units of the National Guard deployed in Washington at the initiative of U.S. President Donald Trump may receive firearms in the coming days as a measure to strengthen security at federal facilities and prevent crimes, sources within the White House said.

Currently stationed in the U.S. capital, the National Guard soldiers are unarmed according to initial instructions and have only been issued body armour, Caliber.Az writes via The Washington Post (WP).

According to the WP report, the administration is now considering arming the units. The guards would be tasked with enhancing the protection of federal government buildings and other sites in central Washington, providing additional security for police during arrests, and reducing the risk of crimes through their presence in the city.

In addition to the 800 National Guard soldiers already deployed in Washington, up to 750 more could join. Over the past weekend, Republican governors from Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia announced plans to send an additional 150, 200, and 400 National Guard troops, respectively, to the capital. The federal budget will cover the costs of hosting these soldiers in the District of Columbia.

In the week following President Trump’s announcement of the National Guard deployment in Washington, approximately 300 people were arrested in the capital.

By Khagan Isayev