President Donald Trump announced a drastic move on Monday, placing the D.C. police under direct federal control and deploying 800 National Guard troops to Washington D.C. The decision strips city leaders of their ability to make law enforcement decisions and raises concerns about residents’ encounters with a domestically deployed military force.
The takeover comes as Trump has been criticizing America’s cities for high crime rates, despite two years of declines that have brought homicide levels to their lowest in decades. Administration officials have already mobilized FBI agents in recent days to help local law enforcement prevent carjackings and violent crime.
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser said she intends to comply with the order, but expressed concerns about its impact on day-to-day policing. Trump has portrayed a sweeping vision of law enforcement on the streets of Washington, declaring that federal agents, D.C. police, and the National Guard would use physical force to intimidate lawbreakers.
The move has been met with opposition from city leaders, who dispute Trump’s characterization of crime in Washington, saying the nation’s capital is safer than it was a year ago. The deployment of the National Guard will provide round-the-clock presence and logistical support to free police officers to conduct law enforcement. However, critics warn that federal officials and troops have little or no training in urban law enforcement.
The decision raises significant risks for D.C. residents, with experts warning about unpredictable encounters between residents and a domestically deployed military force. The move also follows Trump’s increasing use of U.S. military forces on American soil, an approach that has been used sparingly over history.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/11/trump-national-guard-dc-crime-crackdown