President Trump Seizes Control of D.C. Police, Deploys National Guard in Unprecedented Federal Overreach

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a move drawing sharp criticism from legal scholars, civil rights advocates, and local leaders, President Donald Trump has taken extraordinary steps to federalize control of Washington, D.C., launching what his administration calls a “crime crackdown”—despite the city’s falling crime rates.

• Federal Takeover of D.C. Law Enforcement
  Trump announced he is stripping the locally governed Metropolitan Police Department of its autonomy, placing it under the command of Attorney General Pam Bondi. The White House claims this action is necessary to restore order in the capital, although no official declaration of emergency or legal basis has been publicly detailed.

• National Guard Deployed in Domestic Operation
  In an aggressive show of force, Trump activated the National Guard and ordered federal agents—including Border Patrol and FBI personnel—onto the streets of D.C. The president described the mission as an effort to “clean up the slums” and forcibly remove unhoused residents, suggesting forced relocation without any disclosed plan for housing or support services.

• A Manufactured Crisis?
  The Trump administration’s narrative of lawlessness stands in stark contrast to official D.C. crime data, which shows a double-digit decline in violent crimes this year:

  • Homicides: down 12%

  • Assaults with a deadly weapon: down 20%

  • Overall violent crime: down 26%
    Critics argue the crackdown appears politically motivated rather than fact-based.

• Muted Local Response Amid Federal Pressure
  D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, facing increasing federal encroachment, has issued a careful statement denying Trump’s depiction of the city as lawless, calling his comments “hyperbolic and false.” Yet her administration has offered limited resistance as federal agents have taken over operations typically run by the city.

• Democracy in Question
  Legal experts warn that the president’s unilateral seizure of local authority sets a troubling precedent—particularly in a city without voting representation in Congress. Civil liberties organizations have already signaled plans to challenge the federal occupation in court.

Quote from the President:
“We’re getting rid of the slums… and making the capital safer and more beautiful than ever before,” Trump stated Monday, echoing language many have condemned as dehumanizing and authoritarian.