Hegseth: 500 additional troops to be deployed to D.C.
U.S. Secretary of War Peter Hegseth in the Oval Office of the White House on March 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) // Members of the National Guard patrol near the U.S. Capitol on October 1, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Brooke Mallory 2:42 PM – Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has announced the deployment of 500 additional troops to Washington, D.C., in response to the attack near the White House that left two National Guardsmen in critical condition.
Two West Virginia National Guard members were shot in what authorities described as a targeted ambush by a lone gunman near Farragut Square, about two blocks from the White House. The suspect was taken into custody after being wounded in the exchange.
No motive has been publicly confirmed, but officials noted it appeared to target the troops specifically.
While in the Dominican Republic, Hegseth stated that President Trump requested the additional 500 troops to bolster security and “stiffen our resolve” amid ongoing efforts to combat crime in D.C. He directed the Secretary of the Army to implement the order, despite a recent federal court challenge to prior deployments (currently on hold). Hegseth emphasized it as a response to violence against “America’s best.”
“That’s why President 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, D.C.,” Hegseth stated.
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has announced that President Trump has requested an additional 500 National Guard troops for Washington, D.C., expanding federal security support in the capital.
While there have been conflicting reports regarding the conditions of the victims, FBI Director Kash Patel stated at around 4:42 p.m. ET that the two National Guardsmen, one male and one female, are not dead but remain in critical condition at separate trauma centers after engaging the suspect in gunfire.
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
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