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 800 soldiers, in round-the-clock shifts of 100 to 200, will support Washington police and federal law enforcement officers.

The National Guard is a reserve force of the U.S. military that is typically deployed by states in response to natural disasters, although it has been used in the past by presidents to help quell domestic unrest - including President George H.W. Bush during the Los Angeles riots in 1992.