President Trump has requested that 500 additional National Guard troops be deployed to Washington, DC, according to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.<\/p>\n
The ask comes in response to an attack on Wednesday in which two National Guardsmen were shot<\/a> just blocks away from the White House.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will never back down. We will secure our capital. We will secure our cities,\u201d Hegseth told reporters Wednesday. \u201cPresident Trump has asked me, and I will ask the Secretary of the Army to the National Guard to add 500 additional troops, National Guardsmen to Washington DC.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington DC safe and beautiful. The drop in crime has been historic. The increase in safety and security has been historic.\u201d<\/p>\n President Trump has requested that 500 additional National Guard troops be deployed to Washington, DC, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said. Getty Images<\/p>\n There were approximately 2,100 National Guard troops assigned to DC, including about\u00a0900 from the DC National Guard and roughly 1,200 from other states, a Pentagon official told The Post.\u00a0<\/p>\n The two National Guardsmen are in critical condition and were armed when they were shot, according to authorities. They were members\u00a0of West Virginia\u2019s National Guard, Gov.\u00a0Patrick Morrisey (R) said.<\/p>\n A motive for the attack has not yet been revealed,\u00a0nor has the suspect\u2019s identity. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters it was a \u201ctargeted shooting\u201d in which one individual \u201cappeared to target these guardsmen.\u201d<\/p>\n The shooting took place around 2:15 pm ET near\u00a0Farragut Square in Northwest DC, a bustling area filled with\u00a0retail stores and restaurants. The shooting has\u00a0been described as an \u201cambush.\u201d<\/p>\n Police responding to the mass shooting near the White House. MQ RYAN via REUTERS<\/p>\n National Guard troops with law enforcement officers at the scene of the shooting. AP<\/p>\n \u201cAt approximately 2:15 this afternoon, members of the DC National Guard were on high visibility patrols in the area of 17th and I Street Northwest when a suspect came around the corner, raised his arm with a firearm and discharged it at the National Guard members,\u201d DC Metropolitan Police\u00a0Chief Jeff Carroll recounted.<\/p>\n Follow the latest on the National Guard shooting in Washington, DC: <\/p>\n Law enforcement from\u00a0DC\u2019s Metro Police Department,\u00a0FBI, ATF and Secret Service all responded to the scene.<\/p>\n One suspect has been apprehended after the shootin<\/a>g, according to local cops.\u00a0That suspect has not yet been publicly identified.\u00a0Carroll revealed there is \u201cno\u00a0indication that there were any other suspects.\u201d<\/p>\n An injured National Guard troop seen inside an ambulance after the shooting. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n The two National Guardsmen are in critical condition. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance were outside of DC when the attack took place, with the president in Florida and the veep visiting troops in Kentucky.\u00a0<\/p>\n Trump has dispatched the National Guard to DC since Aug. 11 as\u00a0part of an effort to tackle crime and beautify DC. The deployment began after former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee\u00a0Edward Coristine, also known as \u201cBig Balls\u201d was assaulted after intervening in a carjacking.\u00a0Coristine now works in the Social Security Administration.<\/p>\n Follow The Post\u2019s live coverage of President Trump and national politics for the latest news and analysis<\/a><\/p>\n After the shooting, Trump vowed that the \u201canimal\u201d who carried out the rampage \u201cwill pay a very steep price.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike traditional law enforcement officers, the National Guard generally isn\u2019t authorized to make arrests due to the\u00a0Posse Comitatus Act.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Last week, a\u00a0federal judge ordered<\/a>\u00a0the Trump administration to withdraw the National Guard from DC, but paused that order from going into effect until Dec. 11 to give time for an appeal.<\/p>\n