‘Thrilled to be here’: Army Secretary says Guard troops eager for DC crime fight

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll defends National Guard deployment in Washington D.C. for crime combat, saying 2,000 troops are thrilled to support their communities.

"We are the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, and to have our capital kind of reflect this high-violence lack of standard that I think you would find in most other large cities around the world is kind of tragic," Driscoll said. "From the individual Guard members I have spoken to, they are thrilled to be on this mission."

The Trump administration has insisted the Guard is acting to support local and federal law enforcement agencies in the mission to crack down on D.C. crime that began August 7. This week, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced some Guardsmen would be authorized to carry weapons while conducting their mission throughout the city.