Trump deploys federal officers to patrol Washington, DC, amid high crime rates

President Donald Trump has ordered federal law enforcement to assist in policing Washington, DC, in what the White House calls a response to violent crime in the nation’s capital.

“President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an Aug. 7 statement, according to POLITICO. “Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.”

The operation began at midnight Aug. 7 and will run for at least seven days. The U.S. Park Police is leading the effort, joined by Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and other agencies, POLITICO reported. The crackdown will focus on high-traffic tourist areas.

In March, Trump issued an executive order to create the “Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force.” The task force is designed to boost public safety in the city using federal law enforcement.

The deployment follows a brutal attack on 19-year-old Edward Coristine, a former DOGE employee. According to FOX 5 DC, Coristine was beaten by a group of teenagers in northwest DC earlier this week. 

In an Aug. 5 Truth Social post, Trump called crime in the city “totally out of control,” blaming local gangs and youths as young as 14 for assaults, robberies, and shootings. He said offenders are “almost immediately released.” 

“If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City,” he added, “and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore.” 

Leavitt also posted homicide statistics on X showing D.C.’s murder rate at 41 per 100,000 residents — higher than any other global capital.

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