President Trump on Monday ordered the deployment of 800 National Guard members to Washington, D.C., and placed the city's Metropolitan Police Department under federal control, declaring a public safety emergency and vowing to "clean up" the nation's capital.
"This is liberation day in D.C., and we're going to take our capital back," Mr. Trump said during a White House news conference flanked by senior administration officials. He said Attorney General Pam Bondi would assume control of the police department under Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973, which allows the president to direct the D.C. mayor to provide police services for federal purposes in emergencies.
The move comes despite police data showing violent crime in D.C. has fallen 26% this year and robberies are down 28% as of Aug. 11. Last year, violent crime in the city reached its lowest level in more than 30 years, according to the Justice Department. Mr. Trump dismissed those figures as "phony numbers" and said the situation in the capital was one of "complete and total lawlessness."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Guard had been formally mobilized Monday morning and would "flow into the streets of Washington in the coming week." Mr. Trump said homeless encampments would be cleared and criminals jailed, warning, "If necessary, we're going to move servicemembers directly to joining the guardsmen."
In his executive order, Mr. Trump cited "special conditions of an emergency nature" requiring federal use of the police to maintain order, protect federal property, and ensure "the orderly functioning of the Federal Government." The takeover can last up to 30 days without congressional approval. A House Oversight Committee spokesperson confirmed the panel had been notified of an extension beyond the initial 48 hours permitted under the law.
The president pointed to several recent crimes, including the alleged assault of a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer, as justification for the action. "We're not going to lose our cities over this," he said, adding that D.C. was "unsafe and dirty and disgusting" ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she has "repeatedly" discussed crime with Mr. Trump and disputed his characterization. "We are not experiencing a crime spike," she told MSNBC, though she acknowledged the president controls the D.C. National Guard.
Critics swiftly denounced the move. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D., D.C.) called it a "historic assault on D.C. home rule" and "counterproductive." Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) labeled it "political theater" and accused Mr. Trump of ignoring the city's crime reduction progress. "His idea in federalizing the police force of D.C. ignores the reality they are making dramatic progress in reducing violent crime," Mr. Durbin said.
Texas state Rep. Gene Wu (D.) linked the decision to broader Republican-led interventions in state and local governance, calling it a "rise of authoritarianism" and warning, "If we don't stop this... by the time we realize we need to fight back, it may be too late."
