Washington DC - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently signed an order authorizing National Guard troops that are part of President Donald Trump's DC takeover to wield weapons.

In a statement provided to ABC News on Friday, a defense official confirmed that at the direction of Hegseth, "[joint task force DC] members supporting the mission to lower the crime rate in our Nation's capital will soon be on mission with their service-issued weapons, consistent with their mission and training."

"The DC National Guard remains committed to safeguarding the District of Columbia and serving those who live, work, and visit the District," the statement added.

Hegseth's order comes after President Trump sent hundreds of troops to take over DC in an effort to "clean up" what he claims is a crime-infested city, despite the fact that data from Washington police shows significant drops in violent crime between 2023 and 2024.

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The president then directed several governors to send troops from their states, recently bringing the total of troops in the nation's capital to nearly 2,000.

Since arriving, troops have been patrolling areas with relatively low crime, such as popular tourist spots – but the authorization of arms could signal that troops could soon expand their operation.

During a visit to troops on Thursday, Trump insisted the city will be safe and "beautiful" after six months, and urged them to do "whatever it takes to do your job."