Trump authorizes armed guard in D.C., eyes Chicago and Baltimore deployments next

US National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C., as part of President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown have begun carrying weapons on Sunday night, two officials said.

The exact number of armed troops is still uncertain, but they will be carrying either M17 pistols or M4 rifles, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Hundreds of unarmed Guard members have already been deployed in the city for the past two weeks after Trump declared a crime emergency. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week authorized the troops to carry weapons.

The Guard’s Joint Task Force–DC said in a statement that personnel would only use force “as a last resort and solely in response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.”

Trump has suggested that his crackdown could soon expand to Chicago and Baltimore—two Democratic-run cities. On Sunday, he said he was prepared to send troops to Baltimore to confront crime there, while Pentagon officials carried out preliminary planning for what a deployment to Chicago could look like.

Pentagon officials emphasized the planning was precautionary and not a response to a formal order, which has not been given. “It is not uncommon for the Pentagon to plan for potential deployments before formal orders are given,” one official said.

Democrats pushed back sharply. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Trump had “no basis, no authority” to send troops into Chicago, calling the move an effort to “manufacture a crisis.” He pointed to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s comments that no emergency warranted National Guard deployment.

Similarly, Baltimore officials have noted that crime has declined. The city reported a double-digit reduction in gun violence this year and just 84 homicides—the lowest figure in more than 50 years, according to the mayor.

Trump has portrayed Washington, D.C., as a city gripped by a crime wave, despite official statistics showing crime is down. On Sunday, he claimed without evidence that crime in the capital had disappeared thanks to his deployment of troops and federal law enforcement.

Legal questions loom over Trump’s threats. While the president has significant authority in the District of Columbia, he has far less power in states such as Illinois and Maryland. Trump may attempt to invoke Section 12406 of Title 10 of the U.S. Code, which allows the president to deploy National Guard units to suppress rebellion, repel invasion, or execute federal law. He previously cited the provision when sending Guard units to California over Governor Gavin Newsom’s objections.

Any attempt to use the same law to send Guard troops from Republican-led states into Democratic strongholds like Chicago or Baltimore is expected to face strong legal challenges.