By Tim Reid WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Hundreds of National Guard soldiers in military fatigues and combat boots mingled with tourists, posed for selfies, and treated themselves to ice cream from food trucks on Thursday along Washington's National Mall,

Some National Guard units patrolling the nation’s capital at the direction of President Donald Trump have started carrying firearms, an escalation of his military deployment that makes good on a directive issued late last week by his defense secretary.

As of Sunday evening, the troops will now be armed with handguns or rifles, just two days after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the nearly 2,000 troops stationed in Washington to start carrying firearms,