Trump seizes control of D.C. police, threatens military deployment despite record-low crime
President Donald Trump on Monday announced that the federal government would take over Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, deploy National Guard troops into the city, and send in the military “if it’s needed.” He also indicated the move could be a model for other U.S. cities.
“I’m announcing a historic action to rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse,” Trump said at a press conference, framing the takeover as necessary to address what he described as an emergency of lawlessness.
The announcement came despite official crime statistics showing that violent crime in D.C. has reached historic lows. Data released by the U.S. Department of Justice in January found that total violent crime in D.C. was at a 30-year low in 2024, decreasing by 35 percent from 2023. Homicides were down 32 percent, robberies were down almost 40 percent, and armed carjackings fell by more than 50 percent. So far in 2025, violent crime is down another 26 percent, according to the city’s attorney general.
“There is no crime emergency in the District of Columbia,” Attorney General Brian Schwalb said in a statement on X shortly after the president’s announcement. “Violent crime in D.C. reached historic 30-year lows last year, and is down another 26 percent so far this year. We are considering all of our options and will do what is necessary to protect the rights and safety of District residents.”
Trump said he was invoking the Home Rule Act, which permits a president to take control of the D.C. police department for up to 48 hours and then seek an extension for up to 30 days. After 30 days, congressional approval is required. U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said he planned to introduce a resolution to end Trump’s control once the initial 48-hour period had passed.
As part of the takeover, Trump announced that “removing homeless encampments” would be a priority. “The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote on Truth Social over the weekend. “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. It’s all going to happen very fast, just like the Border.”
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro joined Trump at the press conference and called for harsher prosecutions of minors, referring to them as “young punks.” Trump has posted in recent weeks that children as young as 14 should be charged as adults.
The advocacy group Free D.C., which campaigns for D.C. statehood, condemned the proposal. “We reject the criminalization of our youth,” the group wrote on Facebook. “Let’s be very clear: A 14-year-old is a child. And we will not stand by while anyone—no matter how powerful—tries to strip D.C. of our right to self-govern. Our children deserve care. Our city deserves the permanent power to govern ourselves.”
A 2023 report from The Sentencing Project concluded that “incarceration is an ineffective strategy for steering youth away from delinquent behavior” and found that high youth incarceration rates do not improve public safety. The Juvenile Law Center notes that “scientific research shows key developmental differences between youth and adults that impact youth’s decision making, impulse control, and susceptibility to peer pressure,” and that the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized that youth are less blameworthy and more capable of change than adults.
During his remarks, Trump named several other cities as “very bad,” including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Baltimore, and Oakland. All the cities he listed are run by Black mayors, and all except Baltimore are sanctuary cities. Earlier this year, the Trump administration mistakenly classified Baltimore as a sanctuary city. Baltimore’s mayor issued a correction, noting that while the city is not officially designated as such, “We are a welcoming city, and we make no apologies for that.”
Trump suggested that the D.C. action could influence other local governments. “Other cities are hopefully watching this,” he said, adding that he hoped it would make them “self-clean up, and maybe they’ll self-do this and get rid of the cashless bail thing and all of the things that caused the problem.”
The announcement drew widespread criticism from lawmakers, civil rights organizations, and advocacy groups. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania called the move “an abuse of power,” adding, “It’s an egotistical, pathetic attempt to stoke fear and distract from his failures: America is less affordable, healthy, and safe under this administration.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who served as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee last year, wrote on X, “The road to authoritarianism is littered with people telling you you’re overreacting.”
The NAACP contrasted Trump’s rapid deployment of the National Guard in D.C. with his inaction during the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. “As a reminder: The same president who proclaims he wants to take back our capital during a historic 30-year low crime rate also couldn’t find the National Guard on Jan. 6,” the group stated.
Public Citizen co-presidents Lisa Gilbert and Robert Weissman issued a joint statement calling Trump a “despot.” “As autocrats commonly do, Trump is seeking control over the national capital in order to intimidate and squelch dissent,” they said. “Like despots around the world and throughout history, Trump is also relying on the pretextual deployment of military force to intimidate and project power, to suppress protest and undercut democracy.”
Trump’s use of the Home Rule Act gives him control over the D.C. police for a maximum of 30 days without congressional approval. Whether Congress will authorize a longer federal takeover remains to be seen, but opposition from city leaders, members of Congress, and civil rights organizations indicates the decision will face significant political and legal challenges in the days ahead.
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