U.S. President Donald Trump has declared a public safety emergency in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., placing the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal control.
According to the BBC, Trump announced the emergency on Monday and deployed 800 National Guard troops to the city. These troops will assist hundreds of federal law enforcement officers who were deployed late last week. Their mission will include cracking down on criminal gangs operating in the city.
Trump told reporters that he had invoked the Home Rule Act to bring the MPD under central authority, stating, “You don’t want to see looting, rape, shootings, or murder.” He claimed that Washington, D.C.’s murder rate was higher than that of some of the world’s most dangerous places, and that car thefts were also on the rise.
However, Mayor Muriel Bowser rejected Trump’s claims about crime levels, acknowledging that while crime increased in 2023, statistics show it has since declined, with violent crime reportedly at its lowest point in 30 years.
During the press conference, Trump was joined by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who will lead the city’s police force during the period of federal control. He alleged that the capital was overrun by violent gangs, killers, criminals, drug addicts, and homeless individuals.
Calling the move “Liberation Day” for Washington, D.C., Trump declared that he was taking back the capital. He also referenced an attack on a former employee, claiming a gang had brutally beaten the person and left them bloodied.
The president further alleged that government officials, a Democratic congressman, and an intern had also been attacked, saying these incidents disrupted government operations and posed a threat to the United States.
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