Trump Assumes Control of Washington, D.C. Police, Activates National Guard Amid Public Safety Dispute

Published Time: 08-12-2025, 11:30

President Donald Trump announced Monday that his administration is taking temporary control of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., and deploying the National Guard to address what he calls a “crime emergency.” Local officials and city leaders dispute the characterization, citing a sharp drop in violent crime this year.

Federal Takeover Announcement

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared a public safety emergency in the nation’s capital on Monday, invoking his authority under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to assume temporary control of the city’s police department.

Flanked by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and FBI Director Christopher Wray, Trump said the move was necessary to combat crime and address what he described as deteriorating conditions in the city.

“We’re going to take our capital back,” Trump said during a White House press conference, vowing to remove homeless encampments and “get rid of the slums.”

Under the order, Attorney General Bondi will oversee the Metropolitan Police Department, while Hegseth will coordinate with 800 activated National Guard members. Trump did not provide a timeline for the duration of federal control but is limited by law to 30 days without congressional approval.

Local Officials Reject Emergency Claim

City leaders pushed back strongly, calling the move unprecedented and unnecessary.

District Attorney General Brian Schwalb said the administration’s actions were “unlawful” and stressed that violent crime has dropped to its lowest levels in three decades, with a 26% decline so far this year compared with 2024.

Mayor Muriel Bowser also challenged Trump’s assertions, labeling the federal action a “so-called emergency” and noting that such powers highlight the District’s lack of full statehood protections.

“While this action today is unsettling and unprecedented, I can’t say that given some of the rhetoric of the past, that we’re totally surprised,” Bowser said.

Crime Trends and Federal Response

Official police statistics show significant declines in homicides, robberies, and burglaries since the start of 2025. Despite this, Trump ordered an influx of federal personnel, including more than 100 FBI agents, 40 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents, and additional officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

According to an official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, about 500 federal law enforcement officers will be deployed across Washington alongside National Guard troops.

National Guard Deployment

Mayor Bowser cannot independently activate the National Guard but can request assistance from the Pentagon. She has previously questioned its effectiveness for city law enforcement, suggesting federal resources would be better used to fill vacancies in the D.C. Superior Court and increase funding for prosecutors.

“I just think that’s not the most efficient use of our Guard,” Bowser said in a recent interview, noting that violent crime has decreased since a spike in 2023.

Trump defended the decision, saying the presence of armed personnel would deter crime more effectively than expanding the police force.

Homelessness and Public Order

The president also emphasized removing homeless encampments from high-visibility areas of the city, promising relocation to unspecified sites “far from the Capital.”

In a social media post Sunday, Trump wrote: “The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong.”

Homeless advocacy groups criticized the plan. Jesse Rabinowitz of the National Homelessness Law Center called the initiative “a waste” of resources, arguing it does not address the root causes of homelessness or crime.

Political and Legal Implications

Trump’s move highlights ongoing tensions between federal authority and local governance in Washington, D.C., a city whose unique status under the Constitution allows Congress — and by extension the president — to override local control in certain situations.

He has previously suggested returning full federal oversight of the capital, which would require Congress to repeal the 1973 Home Rule Act. Trump said his legal team is examining that possibility.

Mayor Bowser acknowledged that current law allows some federal intervention but maintained that the legal criteria for such action have not been met.

“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.”

Background and Recent Events

Trump’s remarks followed a recent attempted carjacking involving a senior federal official, which he cited as an example of public safety concerns. Two 15-year-olds were arrested in connection with the incident, and police are seeking additional suspects.

The president has also repeatedly criticized the city for what he described as “tents, squalor, filth, and crime,” adding that the capital “has to be the best run place in the country, not the worst.”

While Trump continues to receive political backing from many law enforcement groups, his record has also drawn controversy, particularly for pardoning or commuting sentences of more than 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack.