National Guard troops deployed to Washington, D.C. are preparing to carry weapons in the coming days, according to people familiar with the change, a shift that comes days after President Trump said he was sending them to “take back” the capital from what he described as violent criminals.

The deployment of the troops follows an order by US President Donald Trump for a crackdown on crime in the US capital, a similar action he took during protests in Los Angeles in June, prompting widespread backlash.