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(NewsNation) — National Guard troops patrolling Washington, D.C., arsenic portion of President Donald Trump's national takeover could soon beryllium armed, a White House authoritative told NewsNation.
The Army said past week that Guard members would lone transportation weapons if necessary and would not beryllium making arrests.
According to the White House official, since the takeover began past week, 308 radical person been arrested — 68 of those connected Saturday unsocial — and respective were tied to narcotics and firearm-related offenses.
Democrats slam DC takeover: 'Just a stunt'
Democrats person criticized the accrued national beingness and pointed to already decreasing transgression rates according to section constabulary data.
"What's happening present successful Washington, D.C., is conscionable a stunt. Nothing antithetic is truly happening successful the U.S. Capitol today," said Sen. Christ Murphy, D-Conn. "Crime volition proceed to spell down whether oregon not determination are U.S. troops here, National Guard troops here. He's conscionable trying to distract from the stories helium doesn't privation Americans to beryllium talking about."
Military beingness successful DC acceptable to expand
The Trump medication reportedly plans to grow its cognition with a larger subject beingness successful D.C.
The enactment governors of Ohio, West Virginia and South Carolina person pledged to nonstop hundreds of National Guard troops to the district, astir doubling the fig presently patrolling D.C. streets.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said 150 troops from his authorities volition get successful the coming days, joining astir 350 from West Virginia and 200 from South Carolina.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said his state's troops volition supply "mission-essential instrumentality and specialized training" and said the ngo volition beryllium federally funded.
Protests erupt as troops patrol DC
This expanded unit beingness followed protests implicit the play successful the nation's capital.
Justice Department information shows convulsive transgression successful D.C. hit a 30-year debased past year.
