Overview

• Some National Guard units in Washington began carrying firearms under a new Pentagon directive, with commanders stressing long-standing rules that allow force only in response to an imminent threat and as a last resort.
• President Trump signed an executive order directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to create specialized Guard units and a nationwide quick-reaction force trained for public-order missions.
• Trump said Chicago could be the next city for a Guard surge and alternated between saying he would wait for a request and suggesting he might move without one, while also naming New York and Baltimore as potential targets.
• Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson condemned the prospect as unlawful and unnecessary, joining other Democratic officials and civil-rights groups who are preparing legal challenges.
• D.C. schools reopened with parents uneasy about the large security presence, as the administration touted arrests and gun seizures and local officials pointed to data showing recent declines in violent crime.