Uprising in Washington: Trump proclaims "freedom day" against the "ferocious youth"
In the heart of the United States, the city of Washington, D.C. has been facing challenges in maintaining its historic autonomy due to recent actions by President Trump. The president has invoked the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, a law that grants Congress authority while allowing residents to elect a mayor and city council, to justify his interventions.
Crime rates in Washington, D.C. have been a subject of intense debate, with President Trump claiming a rise in violent crime. However, official data and expert analyses paint a more nuanced picture.
In 2023, the city experienced a significant surge in crime, with the homicide rate peaking at 27.3 per 100,000 residents, making it one of the highest rates nationally. If D.C. were considered a state, it would rank the highest in homicide rate in the U.S. [1]
However, the trend has since reversed. Violent crime dropped 35% in 2024 compared to 2023, hitting a 30-year low, according to Justice Department data and city police reports. [2] In the first half of 2025, violent crime has continued to decline by about 26%. [2][3]
Despite these declines, the total number of crimes in 2024 and early 2025 remains substantial for a city of D.C.'s size, with thousands of violent offenses, assaults, robberies, and motor vehicle thefts recorded. [1]
President Trump's claims about the rising crime rates in Washington, D.C. have been contradicted by the latest official statistics. While crime surged in 2023, the most recent data show substantial declines in violent crime and homicides through 2024 and into 2025. [2][3]
President Trump's actions, including declaring a federal "crime emergency," taking control of D.C.'s police, and deploying the National Guard, have been criticised for ignoring the downward crime trends reported by official data. [2][3]
Washington's Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, has stated that the city is not experiencing a crime peak. [4]
References:
[1] Washington Post, "D.C. homicides in 2023 are on pace to be the highest since 2008," 2023.
[2] FactCheck.org, "Trump's Misleading Claims on Crime in Washington, D.C.," 2025.
[3] Justice Department, "Crime Statistics for Washington, D.C.," 2025.
[4] NBC News, "Bowser: D.C. is not experiencing a crime peak," 2025.
- The rising crime rates in Washington, D.C., a topic of intensely debated politics, have been contradicted by the latest policy-and-legislation-based official statistics, showing substantial declines in violent crime since 2023.
- Despite the downward trend in crime, President Trump's actions such as declaring a federal "crime emergency," taking control of D.C.'s police, and deploying the National Guard, have been met with criticism in war-and-conflicts discourse for ignoring the recent crime-and-justice statistics.
- In General-News reports, Washington's Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, has emphasized that the city is not experiencing a crime peak, contrasting President Trump's claims about the city's safety situation.
