Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered members of the National Guard patrolling the streets of Washington, DC, to begin carrying their service weapons as they carry out President Donald Trump's offensive to combat crime in the nation's capital, according to multiple media outlets citing a Pentagon statement.

Hegseth’s directive represents a notable shift in guidance from the Pentagon, which had previously indicated that National Guard members could be armed if circumstances warranted, and suggests that hundreds of National Guard troops deployed to D.C. will soon carry weapons despite serving in a support role to local law enforcement.

The authorization applies to Joint Task Force-DC, the military mission that includes Guard members from D.C. and six states participating in the deployment.

The troops could begin carrying weapons in the coming days, though they will not be allowed to make arrests. Additionally, they will remain under orders to temporarily detain people if necessary before turning them over to law enforcement as quickly as possible.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump met with law enforcement officers and the National Guard who are on the front lines of his crackdown on crime.

Trump said Friday in the Oval Office, referring to Democratic Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel E. Bowser, who was elected as the new mayor, that “she better get her act together or she won’t be mayor very long because we are going to take control of the federal government and we are going to run it the way it’s supposed to be run.”

The deployment of National Guard members to Washington has drawn intense criticism from Democratic leaders, who say the move is a clear example of executive overreach.

The National Guard has traditionally focused on domestic crises like national disasters and civil unrest.

On August 11,Trump initially took control of Washington's security for 30 days, citing a law that allows city officials to intervene because of an "emergency" due to high crime.