Overview
- Guard units patrolling Washington now carry M17 pistols and M4 rifles under rules authorizing force only as a last resort, marking an escalation of the federal takeover of local policing in the capital.
- An executive order signed Monday directs Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to stand up National Guard units specially trained for public‑order missions, with Trump saying he will also seek legislation to codify them.
- Pentagon officials acknowledge contingency planning for a possible operation in Chicago but decline to confirm future actions, saying they will not speculate on operations and routinely plan for contingencies.
- Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Attorney General Kwame Raoul pledge to fight any deployment they call unconstitutional, citing Posse Comitatus limits and noting Chicago’s sharp crime declines.
- Trump threatens to send troops to Baltimore and to reconsider Maryland bridge funds in a feud with Governor Wes Moore, while no large‑scale deployments to Baltimore, Chicago or New York have occurred to date.