Donald Trump puts Washington DC police under federal control and deploys the National Guard

In a press conference, President Donald Trump announced the deployment of the National Guard in Washington DC, along with federal control of the city’s police department, aiming to “address crime in the city.”

“I’m announcing a historic action to rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, chaos, misery, and worse. Today is a day of liberation, and we’re going to take back our capital,” Trump said.

With this move, the White House seeks to tackle homelessness and crime in the capital, despite the fact that crime rates have declined in recent years. To justify the deployment, the president invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, warning that action in the capital is just the beginning.

“We’re eliminating slums... We’re going to reclaim our capital,” he added.

How Trump’s Security Plan Will Be Implemented in Washington DC

The plan includes the mobilization of around 500 federal agents from various agencies, according to an anonymous source cited by The Associated Press, in addition to National Guard troops. Agencies involved include the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the DEA, ICE, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

DC’s mayor responds to White House announcement

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has spoken out against the deployment, arguing that the federal government would be more helpful by investing in prosecutors and filling judicial vacancies.

During a press conference on Monday afternoon, Bowser told the press that she accepted the president’s authority to declare a state of emergency and send in the National Guard. She challenged the notion of the emergency that President Trump was referring to, citing additional data that shows decreases in crime since 2023.

Mayor Bowser also emphasized her disagreement with using the military against citizens, saying that she imagined speaking “for all Americans” that she doesn’t “believe it is legal to use the American military against American citizens on American soil.”

Trump’s data meets reality

Despite Trump’s claims, crime in Washington has dropped to its lowest level in three decades. According to data from Proceso, violent crime has decreased by 26% compared to last year, including reductions in homicides, robberies, and break-ins. During his remarks, the president noted that the murder rate in DC hit an all-time high in 2023, but it fell in 2024 and has continued to decrease this year. Nonetheless, Trump has based his remarks on a recent attack against a member of his administration, describing the capital as a “dangerous” area.

Much of the data was cherry-picked, and critics accuse the White House of using the emergency powers to clear encampments of unhoused people (without addressing the root cause of homelessness in the city) and increasing the police presence in Black and Brown neighborhoods. Mayor Bowser and other city officials expressed concern that adding additional police to these areas could worsen relations between the community and law enforcement, and make some residents less likely to seek the help of police or cooperate with them.

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