On Monday, August 11, US President Donald Trump announced a federal takeover of Washington, DC’s police force to combat what he described as a wave of “violent gangs, bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people.”

Trump made the announcement during a press briefing at the White House, introducing an executive order that invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. This allowed him to declare a “crime emergency” and to place the Metropolitan Police Department under direct White House control.

He also directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to deploy the National Guard on the city, saying his administration would be removing homeless encampments. Trump did not provide a timeline for the control of Washington, DC’s police force, although under statute, this is limited to 30 days, unless he gets Congress approval to extend it.

During a speech delivered at the press briefing, he framed the decision as a rescue mission. “We’re going to take our capital back,” he told reporters. “We’re going to reestablish law, order, and public safety in Washington, D.C., and they’re going to be allowed to do their job properly.”

Trump framed Washington, DC as a failed city, “overtaken by violent gangs, bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people.” He also stated that the capital’s murder rate surpasses that of Baghdad, Bogota, Colombia, and Mexico City, despite data from the Justice Department showing that violent crime is at its lowest in 30 years.

Moreover, he tried to link this takeover to other issues he has focused on since he became president, mentioning “sanctuary cities”. He said, “That’s why they want men playing in women’s sports. That’s why they want transgender for everybody. Everybody transgender.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also spoke at the briefing, saying that the National Guard’s deployment would be “operationalized by the Secretary of the Army, Dan Driscoll,” and that additional “specialized units” were ready to be mobilised into the city.

Washington, DC is a Democratic-run city, and some have raised concerns that this latest action is part of Trump’s efforts to exercise power over traditionally local matters and that he is manufacturing a crisis in an attempt to expand his authority.

As he spoke at the press briefing, demonstrators gathered outside the White House to protest against the decision. “The administration’s actions are unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful,” District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said. “There is no crime emergency in the District of Columbia.”

Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser stressed that the city is “not experiencing a crime spike”, expressing concern at the idea of National Guard troops being deployed to enforce local laws.

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