President Donald Trump on Monday said he is mobilizing the National Guard in Washington, D.C., and taking control of the city's police force as part of his administration's effort to combat crime in the nation's capital.
"I'm announcing a historic action to rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor and worse," the president said during a White House press conference. "This is liberation day in D.C. and we're going to take our capital back. We're taking it back."
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"Under the authorities vested in me as president of the United States, I'm officially invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act — you know what that is — and placing the Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control," he added.
Under the law, the president can federalize Washington, D.C.’s police force for up to 48 hours before notifying Congress, and for a maximum of 30 days before receiving congressional approval.
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Crime and homelessness are issues Trump has frequently criticized, calling Washington, D.C., unsafe and poorly managed. However, the city’s mayor is expressing concerns about what this may mean for the city, particularly regarding the mobilization of the National Guard.
Despite Trump's claims, statistics indicate violent crime is down 26% in Washington, D.C., compared to this same time last year. There has also been a significant drop since a spike in 2023. His new focus, however, appears to be driven by the recent attempted carjacking involving a former Department of Government Efficiency worker.
Specifically concerning carjackings, the numbers have remained steady in 2025, but there is a notable problem with teenagers being implicated in many cases — including the incident involving the former DOGE worker, in which two teens were arrested. Trump has also discussed teenage crime in recent days, arguing that the juvenile justice system’s consequences are insufficient and expressing a desire to try some teens as adults.
"[Washington, D.C.] has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World," Trump said on his Truth Social platform. "It will soon be one of the safest!!!"
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In addition to crime, Trump has targeted homelessness recently, stating that individuals experiencing homelessness in Washington, D.C., need to leave the city immediately. He mentioned that these individuals would have a place to stay, but not within the capital, though details on this plan remain unclear given the longstanding issue of homelessness in the district.
"The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY," Trump said in a statement. "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."
While the president has the authority to call in the National Guard, the mayor is particularly wary of this action, suggesting that it may not address the underlying problems. She believes focusing on filling judicial vacancies to expedite court processes might be more effective in addressing violent crime than deploying the National Guard.
“I just think that’s not the most efficient use of our Guard,” Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, said Sunday on MSNBC.
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According to The Associated Press, Trump has already tasked some 500 federal law enforcement officers to deploy throughout the nation's capital in an effort to combat crime. A statement obtained by Scripps News from the Democratic Mayors Association accused him of attempting to "villify Mayors and take credit for their work."
"Let's be clear: Crime is down in most major cities — including Washington, DC — in spite of Donald Trump, not because of him," the group said. "If Trump actually cared about reducing crime, he wouldn't have made unprecedented cuts to public safety programs that actually work. If Trump actually cared about our communities, he would be working with our cities, not against them. But the truth is Trump doesn't care — he only wants to create yet another political charade to serve his own interests and distract Americans from his failures."
