Hegseth lets National Guard in Washington use patrol cars, Humvees and boats

War Secretary Pete Hegseth has widened the equipment available to National Guard troops deployed in Washington, approving the use of marked police cars, military tactical vehicles and boats, Fox News reported on Thursday.

According to Fox News, two Pentagon officials confirmed that Hegseth signed a memo dated Oct. 29. It allows up to 60 marked patrol cars, along with Humvees and other tactical vehicles, boats belonging to the D.C. National Guard, and as many as 20 light towers and generators. Politico was the first outlet to report the authorization.

A War Department official told Fox News Digital that the secretary had approved the continued use of Guard personnel and capabilities for what the administration calls the “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful” mission. The official said the guidance covers maritime assets and is meant to support both federal and local law enforcement operations.

A deployment already large

Fox News said about 3,000 Guard troops are currently in the capital as part of President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown. The new authorization comes after an earlier decision by Hegseth, taken last year, that allowed Guard members to carry service-issued weapons whenever their assignment calls for it.

Together, the two steps move the mission further from a visible troop presence and toward one equipped with vehicles, waterborne craft and lighting and power equipment, according to the details Fox News relayed.

Pushback from the council

The disclosure came as D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto, who chairs the council’s public safety committee, held a hearing on Thursday about the federal law enforcement and Guard presence in the city. Fox News quoted her as saying she was “very hopeful and optimistic” that the district now has partners at the state and congressional level to push back against what she described as an unnecessary, harmful and unlawful military presence.

Pinto directed part of her appeal at governors. She called on the newly elected Democratic governors of Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas to withdraw the troops their states have sent to Washington, which she put at 628 in total.

She also asked congressional Democrats to strengthen their oversight of federal law enforcement operations in the district starting in January. Among the measures she urged were requirements that officers display identifying badges and use body cameras.

What remains unclear

Fox News did not say how many boats the memo covers or when the additional vehicles and equipment would begin appearing on the streets of the capital. It also gave no indication of how the governors Pinto named might respond to her request, or whether Congress will take up her proposals on oversight once the new year begins.

For now, the Pentagon’s position, as relayed by its officials, is that the mission continues and has the equipment it needs, while city officials are seeking an end to it.