Hegseth Sets Record Straight On Whether National Guard Will Carry Out Law Enforcement In DC

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” that members of the National Guard will have “broad latitude” in the authorization that they use in Washington, D.C., but they will not involve themselves in “law enforcement functions.”

President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is deploying the National Guard to the nation’s capital to combat crime. Ingraham asked Hegseth if the National Guard will be “detaining Americans on American soil.” (RELATED: Liberals Claim DC Violent Crime Is Down With Stats Excluding Entire Categories Of Assaults)

“Under Title 32, which is the authorization they’ll be using, they have broad latitude. But they’re not going to be involved in law enforcement functions. They will be standing right alongside our federal agents like they were in Los Angeles,” Hegseth said. “They’re going to be proactive. If you take an action or a shot at them, there will be a consequence.”

Trump — joined by administration officials including Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel — spoke to reporters, saying that D.C. would be under a “public safety emergency.” The decision to deploy the National Guard into D.C. comes after Trump floated the idea during a Wednesday press briefing following the brutal beating of a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) member.

WATCH:

Ingraham asked Hegseth what National Guardsmen will do if they witness a crime being committed. The defense secretary said that they would be able to come alongside and “assist law enforcement,” prompting Ingraham to ask, “what if law enforcement isn’t on that corner?”

“I will have their back to ensure they can take the necessary action to protect citizens of D.C. and to protect themselves. So there’s no rogue law enforcement going on from the National Guard, but there’s also the application of common sense,” Hegseth said. “We’re not going to have National Guardsmen sitting there like this, seeing a crime committed, and not do something about it.”

“You can help somebody interdict, temporarily detain, like we did in Los Angeles, and hand over to law enforcement,” Hegseth added. “Those are the types of things the National Guard can be trained to do.”

While Democrats and legacy media pundits have said that the city’s crime has decreased 35% in 2024, citing local police data, the statistics leave out crimes such as felony and aggravated assault. In July, Metropolitan Police Department officials said an investigation was opened against D.C. police Commander Michael Pulliam for allegedly altering crime statistics in his district, according to NBC Washington.

The announcement from Trump follows a Truth Social post Tuesday in which the president called out crime in D.C. and highlighted a recent attack victim. While not naming the victim, Trump posted a photo of a man sitting on the floor covered in blood.

According to an MPD report obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, former DOGE member Edward Coristine, also known online as “Big Balls,” had been with another individual, who was a woman, on Aug. 3 as they stood near her vehicle.

Coristine told officials he saw the suspects approach. According to MPD’s press release, the suspects demanded the woman’s vehicle. Concerned for her safety, the DOGE member pushed the woman into the vehicle before turning to confront the suspects.

As police arrived and Coristine was being attacked, officials said about 10 suspects fled. Two were later arrested: a 15-year-old male and a 15-year-old female from Hyattsville, Md., both charged with unarmed carjacking.

The brutal beating of the former DOGE staffer comes after Republican intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym was fatally shot in the city on June 30, and two Israeli Embassy staff members were gunned down near the Capital Jewish Museum on May 22.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.