Overview

• Joint Task Force–DC said service members started carrying service-issued weapons late on August 24.
• The task force stated force may be used only as a last resort in response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.
• An anonymous Defense Department official said some units will carry handguns and others rifles, while support roles are expected to remain unarmed.
• More than 2,200 personnel are assigned to the Washington deployment alongside federal agents conducting visible patrols and security duties.
• President Trump touts the effort and has threatened similar deployments to Baltimore and Chicago, even as federal data show D.C. violent crime at a 30-year low and local leaders and residents voice opposition.