President Donald Trump Took Over the Police in Washington, D.C.

By: Miriam Edelman

Note – Due to the sheer importance of the current situation of D.C. and crime, this piece is going out now, although DCNOW usually discusses federal interference in chronological order. DCNOW will publish more pieces about past and current micromanagement.

Washington, D.C., currently is experiencing the most federal interference since the 1990s, when the federal government permanently took over parts of the city’s criminal justice system and temporarily instituted the Financial Control Board. After President Donald Trump threatened to take over parts of D.C. for years, he officially assumed control of D.C.’s police force. No President until Trump had used a declared emergency to take over D.C.’s police.

Trump continued to attack D.C. regarding crime. On August 9, 2025, on Truth Social, Trump referred to D.C. as "one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World." However, as the New York Times reported, Trump "cited high crime rates that do not align with official statistics." In fact, on January 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice reported:

“Total violent crime for 2024 in the District of Columbia is down 35% from 2023 and is the lowest it has been in over 30 years…In addition to the overall violent crime reduction, homicides are down 32%; robberies are down 39%; armed carjackings are down 53%; assaults with a dangerous weapon are down 27% when compared with 2023 levels, with the District reporting the fewest assaults with dangerous weapons and burglaries in over 30 years.”

On August 11, 2025, Trump declared a crime emergency in the District of Columbia. He ignored improvements regarding D.C.’s crime to justify his takeover, which D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser referred to as an “authoritarian push.” Replying to Trump’s concerns about crime in D.C., on August 10^th, Bowser said, “We are not experiencing a crime spike.”

On August 11^th, Trump also took over D.C.’s police and deployed the National Guard and federal law enforcement to Washington, D.C. ostensibly in order to combat crime. He invoked section 740 of the Home Rule Act to take temporary control of D.C.’s police for up to 30 days, but Trump wants to have a “long-term extension” of this federal takeover.

Trump’s actions led to more calls for D.C. statehood. Bowser said “We know that access to our democracy is tenuous” and “this is why you have heard me and many, many Washingtonians before me, advocate for full statehood for the District of Columbia.” In response, Trump said:

“Statehood is ridiculous. It’s unacceptable…The Democrats want it because the Democrats have…about 95% in this little area. Even…I didn't get it very much….They want to pick up two Senators, and it's not going to happen, is not going to happen, and that's the least of the reasons why, by the way, but that's one of the reasons why. What we want to do is make Washington, D.C., the greatest, most beautiful, safest capital anywhere in the world.”

Many elected officials and organizations rebuked Trump. In addition, after a checkpoint was created on 14^th Street N.W. last night, protestors shouted at federal agents, “Get off our streets.”

D.C. must become a state. If it were a state, D.C. residents would never be subject to such extreme micromanagement. In addition, its residents would finally be full citizens.