Overview

• Joint Task Force-DC said service members started carrying their service-issued weapons late on August 24 under rules allowing force only as a last resort in an imminent threat.
• Roughly 2,000 to 2,200 troops are assigned to the D.C. operation, and officials said some units may carry M17 pistols or M4 rifles after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the change Friday.
• President Trump has signaled possible deployments to Chicago and Baltimore, but the Pentagon declined to detail plans as Illinois officials vowed to fight any move in court.
• Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called a potential deployment illegal and unnecessary and pointed to steep declines in murders and shootings, echoing data showing crime down in D.C. and recent gun violence reductions in Baltimore.
• Protests have greeted the expanded federal presence in Washington, where the president can take control of policing for up to 30 days under district law.