President Donald Trump has ordered the National Guard and the Justice Department to take over Washington, D.C.’s police department and streets to address his claims of rampant violent crime and homelessness. He announced the federal takeover even though violent crime in the District last year was at a three-decade low.
At a news conference Monday, Aug. 11, Trump said he is federalizing law enforcement in the nation’s capital to protect the city from muggings, murders and other violent crime.
“This is liberation day in D.C. and we’re going to take our capital back,” he told the room.
Trump’s claim contradicts data on crime trends compiled by both the Justice Department and D.C. officials. The DOJ said on Jan. 3 that violent crime in 2024 was 35% lower than that of 2023, the lowest the city has seen in more than 30 years. Crime has continued to decline in 2025, D.C. data shows.
Trump added Attorney General Pam Bondi and officials from the Department of Defense will be taking over the District’s police department.
D.C. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen criticized Trump’s plan on X. He said deploying the National Guard to the city’s streets won’t make people feel safer because the soldiers are trained for warfare and responding to natural disasters.
“Today’s announcement will put untrained and unaccountable members of the military in an untenable position in our communities,” Allen wrote. “It’s unnecessary, unwarranted, & a dangerous escalation of power in the Nation’s Capital simply because he can.”
This is a developing story.
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Author: Ally Heath
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