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Dozens of men and women in camo Army fatigues, carrying large duffel bags, some even with pillows and blankets, filed into the D.C. Armory Tuesday morning.
It is all part of the mobilization of 800 D.C. National Guard members that was ordered by President Donald Trump as he declared a public safety emergency, also federalizing the D.C. police department and ordering other federal agencies to assist.
While 800 were called in, residents around the District won’t see all of them at one time. Only about one to two hundred will be on the streets at a time, according to the Army.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, appearing on Fox News’ Ingraham Angle Monday night, said that they will serve as a deterrent for violent crime.
Hegseth said they would not perform law enforcement functions but would be allowed to detain American citizens to turn them over to the police.
As for how long the National Guard will be on the streets of D.C., Hegseth said, “I don’t know, weeks, months. What will it take? That’s the president’s call, but we’re going to be there for him to execute as swiftly as possible.”
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