White House to Host Press Conference, Promising Aggressive Action Against Crime Escalation in Washington D.C., Led by President Trump
In a move that has sparked intense debate, former President Donald Trump has proposed a federal takeover of Washington D.C.'s law enforcement, aiming to assert federal and military control over local policing through an emergency crime declaration. The proposal, made in August 2025, involves the deployment of 800 National Guard troops and the takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department by the U.S. Attorney General.
Historically, Trump has a long-standing history of using racially charged rhetoric around crime. This dates back to the 1980s when, as a private citizen, he pushed for the death penalty for the Central Park Five, a group of Black teenagers later exonerated. On the 2025 campaign trail, Trump promised to "take over" and "beautify" Washington D.C., describing it as a “nightmare of murder and crime,” echoing decades of conservative politicians’ narratives branding majority non-white or progressive-led cities as crime-ridden and in need of outside intervention.
The federal takeover recalls previous controversial uses of the National Guard during racial justice protests in 2020 after George Floyd’s murder, when federal troops were deployed to D.C. Trump's proposal has been met with criticism from D.C. officials and residents, who view it as an alarming violation of local control and autonomy. Critics see it as a power and political move, noting the lack of a true public safety emergency and questioning the metrics for success, warning this could lead to a prolonged occupation and expansion of federal intervention to other Democrat-run cities like Chicago or Oakland.
Trump declared a "crime emergency" allowing such federal action. Attorney General Pam Bondi was tasked with assuming control of D.C.'s police, marking an unprecedented reallocation of local policing authority to federal hands. However, the administration's claim of rising crime rates contradicts data showing violent crime in D.C. was actually down 26% year-to-date and at a 30-year low according to the Department of Justice.
Legal experts have suggested that Trump's proposed federal takeover of the MPD would likely be challenged in court. The move is seen as a "shot across the bow" to other cities, reinforcing a politically charged agenda rather than a strictly public safety objective. Notably, Trump previously clashed with Mayor Muriel Bowser when he deployed the National Guard to D.C. in 2020 during protests.
The White House has deployed agents from multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, US Marshals Service, DEA, and immigration police, to "high traffic areas and other known hotspots" in D.C. Officials will be "identified, in marked units, and highly visible." Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., has expressed support for Trump if he seeks a federal takeover of the city.
In response, Mayor Bowser has not directly addressed Trump's false claims of violent crime rates rising in the city. In February, Bowser stated that Washington, D.C. was a "world-class city" with a low violent crime rate and a AAA bond rating from Moody's. Rep. Andrew Ogles introduced a bill in February to repeal the 1973 Home Rule Act, which would allow the federal government to take control of Washington, D.C.
The proposed federal takeover of Washington D.C.'s policing is grounded in a declared emergency emphasizing crime control, but it draws on a long history of politicized, racially charged narratives about crime and cities. Legally, it involves extraordinary federal intervention into a unique jurisdiction where local control is already limited, but the move has sparked intense criticism as an overreach with significant political motives.
- Former President Donald Trump, in a continuation of his history of using racially charged rhetoric around crime, has proposed a federal takeover of Washington D.C.'s law enforcement, mirroring his campaign promises and echoing decades of conservative politicians' narratives.
- Trump's proposed federal takeover of D.C.'s policing, which involves the deployment of National Guard troops, has been met with criticism from D.C. officials and residents, who view it as a violation of local control and autonomy, and a potential precursor to federal intervention in other cities.
- The politically charged federal takeover proposal by Trump, set against a backdrop of war-and-conflicts in domestic politics, is a move that could significantly impact policy-and-legislation and general-news, particularly in the realm of crime-and-justice.
