Hegseth says Trump has requested 500 more National Guard troops in DC

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that President Donald Trump has requested 500 more National Guard troops to be deployed to Washington, DC, following the shooting of two West Virginia National Guardsmen. 

The two guards were shot near the White House earlier Wednesday, and transported to separate hospitals in critical condition. The suspected shooter was also injured in the incident, Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 

Hegseth told reporters in the Dominican Republic that he would take Trump's request for more National Guard troops to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll.

“This will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington, D.C., safe and beautiful," Hegseth said. "The drop in crime has been historic. The increase in safety and security has been historic. But if criminals want to conduct things like this, violence against America’s best, we will never back down. President Trump will never back down. That’s why the American people elected him.” 

The request comes after a federal judge last week blocked the deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., but the order is on hold until Dec. 11, to give the Trump administration time to appeal it.

There are currently around 2,200 National Guard troops deployed to the district as part of the administration’s effort to crack down on crime in the capital. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.