President Donald Trump said that he was open to “expanding the national concealed carry” to Washington, DC, during a press briefing on Friday. 

The president was asked by reporters if he was open to expanding nationwide concealed carry to apply to DC. 

“I’m in favor of it. People have to protect themselves. I’m a Second Amendment person. Very simply, people have to be able to protect themselves,” Trump said. 

“Especially like in Washington, you walk down the street, a guy comes up and slugs you. He’s got a he’s got a pistol in his hand. You can be tough. You can be in great shape. You can be a powerful person, or you can be a guy that weighs 100 pounds with a gun in your hand. And I’ll bet on the guy with a gun 100% of the time, right? So you need protection. So I’m a Second Amendment person.”

Although Washington, DC allows for concealed carry, the application and regulations around firearms are much more complex for the nation’s capital city. 

Although most states have their own laws regulating concealed carry permits, National Concealed Carry laws have been proposed in Congress, where there would be reciprocity between states on concealed carry permits, similar to how driver’s licenses are recognized across state lines.  

Some states have already implemented laws that allow for concealed carry permit reciprocity, however, it is not yet a nationwide policy 

The comments from Trump come as he has implemented a crime crackdown in Washington, DC to curb criminality. The administration federalized law enforcement in the city and has deployed National Guard troops, 2,000 of which have been authorized to carry weapons when needed.