National Guard troops deployed to Washington this month to support President Donald Trump's effort to mitigate crime began carrying firearms Sunday evening, according to the federal task force managin

The exact number of troops who would carry their weapons was fluid, but they will either carry M17 pistols or M4 rifles, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo late last week authorizing National Guard troops deployed in Washington, D.C., to carry weapons if their mission requires it. The memo, according to one official, was addressed to the chief of the National Guard Bureau and the Secretary of the Army.