President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is activating National Guard troops and placing the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control to address crime in Washington, DC.
“I’m deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, DC,” Trump said during a press conference, according to Fox News. “And they’re going to be allowed to do their job properly.”
The president said the police department would be federalized and put under the authority of Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the DC National Guard will be operationalized by Army officer Dan Driscoll and indicated more troops could be sent in the future. “You will see them flowing into the streets of Washington in the coming week,” Hegseth told reporters. “At your direction as well, sir, there are other units we are prepared to bring in. Other National Guard units, other specialized units. They will be strong, they will be tough, and they will stand with their law enforcement partners.”
Trump has repeatedly criticized the levels of crime and homelessness in the nation’s capital. In a Truth Social post earlier Monday, he pledged DC would be “LIBERATED” from “Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum” and declared that the “days of ruthlessly killing, or hurting, innocent people, are OVER!”
The move to take over the police department is expected to face legal challenges. While federal takeovers are allowed in emergencies, disputes are likely over whether the situation qualifies as one.
On Sunday, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser disputed Trump’s repeated characterization of the city.
“Any comparison to a war-torn country is hyperbolic and false,” Bowser said in an MSNBC interview. “I’m concerned about them not being used efficiently, and I just think that’s not the most efficient use of our Guard.”
