President Donald Trump announced Monday that he will seize control of Washington, D.C.’s police department, deploy 800 National Guard troops, and order the removal of homeless encampments, moves he claims will curb crime in the capital. City leaders countered that his premise is flawed, pointing out that violent crime is already at historic lows.
Flanked by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the FBI director, Trump declared a public safety emergency under Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. The order gives him temporary authority over the Metropolitan Police Department, limited by statute to 30 days, and authorizes the activation of federal forces.
“We’re going to take our capital back,” Trump said, vowing to “get rid of the slums” while railing against potholes and graffiti he called “embarrassing.”
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Bondi will oversee the police force while federal law enforcement floods the city. A person familiar with the plan told the AP that about 500 federal officers, including 100 FBI agents, 40 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, plus personnel from the DEA, ICE, and the U.S. Marshals Service, will join local patrols.
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The sweeping takeover reflects Trump’s broader hardline approach to public safety, a stance bolstered by the unique federal status of D.C. But critics noted his focus on optics rather than underlying causes of crime and homelessness.
District officials immediately rejected his portrayal of Washington as dangerous. “The administration’s actions are unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful,” said Attorney General Brian Schwalb. “There is no crime emergency in the District of Columbia.” Schwalb cited a 26% drop in violent crime this year and record 30-year lows in 2024.
Mayor Muriel Bowser questioned the effectiveness of National Guard patrols, suggesting instead that the federal government help fill long-vacant judicial seats and increase prosecutorial resources. “I just think that’s not the most efficient use of our Guard,” she said on MSNBC, adding that violent crime has decreased since 2023 despite Trump’s claims that the city is “one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World.”
Trump has made clearing homeless encampments a key priority, promising to relocate people “FAR from the Capital” and jailing “Criminals.” His push to reassert federal control over D.C., possibly by repealing the 1973 Home Rule Act, is under legal review, he said.
Police data shows homicides, robberies, and burglaries are down this year. The president’s renewed focus on D.C. followed the assault of Edward Coristine, a senior official in his Department of Government Efficiency. Two teenagers were arrested in the attempted carjacking.
“This has to be the best run place in the country, not the worst run place in the country,” Trump said, calling Bowser “a good person who has tried” but failed. Bowser replied that the law allowing presidential intervention doesn’t apply in this case. “None of those conditions exist in our city right now,” she said. “We are not experiencing a spike in crime. In fact, we’re watching our crime numbers go down.”
