In an unprecedented action, DC police are now under Trump's control, with the National Guard being dispatched in the capital.
In a move that has sparked widespread controversy, President Donald Trump announced the deployment of over 2,000 National Guard troops to Washington D.C. in early August 2025. This decision came as a response to rising crime in the capital, with violent crime dropping 35 percent in 2024, according to federal data.
Trump's decision to assume control over Washington D.C.'s police department is based on a maximalist and somewhat untested interpretation of various authorities, including 10 U.S.C. § 502(f), 32 U.S.C. § 12406, the protective power doctrine, and the unique status of the D.C. National Guard. This legal manoeuvre has raised significant legal controversy, with Washington, D.C. itself suing President Trump, arguing that the federal takeover of the city’s police force violates federal law and the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.
The legal implications of this intervention are far-reaching. Challenges to federal authority over D.C. policing, uncertainty over the legality of troop deployments from other states, and political and community backlash have all been raised as concerns. The city's attorney general, Brian Schwalb, has called Trump's actions "unlawful" and said his office is "considering all of our options."
Moreover, Congress has withheld $1.1 billion in locally-raised funds for D.C., exacerbating tensions and limiting the city’s ability to respond independently to crime and governance. Trump's actions are seen as an assertion of presidential power with little precedent in modern US history.
Trump's vow to remove homeless encampments, however, faces a legal hurdle, as the federal government cannot force people to move out of the city due to a lack of shelter. The president's actions have also been met with criticism from community leaders, who condemn the takeover as a form of lawlessness coming from the White House.
The Justice Department is currently investigating potential manipulation of crime statistics, adding to the controversy surrounding Trump's actions. Trump has signaled that other major US cities with Democratic leadership could be next, including Chicago.
In a related development, a federal trial began on Monday in San Francisco regarding Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles without the approval of California Governor Gavin Newsom. Trump is cutting security funding for the National Capital Region, an area that includes D.C., by 44 percent this year from the federal urban security fund.
Despite the controversy, violent crime in Washington has been rapidly declining since 2023, with an additional 26 percent drop in the first seven months of 2025, according to city police. Trump cast his actions as necessary to "rescue" Washington from a wave of lawlessness, declaring a "public safety emergency" in the city.
As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the legal challenges and community backlash will impact Trump's controversial decision to deploy the National Guard and take over D.C.'s policing.
- The deployment of National Guard troops to Washington D.C., announced by President Trump in August 2025, has sparked widespread controversy, with concerns over legal implications, political and community backlash, and potential manipulation of crime statistics.
- The legal maneuver by President Trump to assume control over Washington D.C.'s police department, based on various authorities, has led to significant legal controversy, with the city itself suing Trump, alleging violation of federal law and the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.
- Trump's vow to remove homeless encampments faces a legal hurdle, as the federal government cannot force people to move without shelter, adding to the controversy surrounding his actions in Washington D.C.
- In a related development, a federal trial regarding Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles without the approval of California Governor Gavin Newsom is ongoing, highlighting further issues of presidential power and federal-state relations in the context of crime and justice.
