Trump Pushes for Prolonged Federal Oversight of Washington DC Police During Protests: ‘City Under Siege’
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had earlier ordered National Guard troops into the nation’s capital and assumed authority over its police department, argued that violent crime in the city had spiraled out of control.
Trump announced that he would urge congressional Republicans to prolong federal oversight of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department beyond the current 30-day limit, describing the U.S. capital as “under siege” by violent offenders. He claimed the city suffers from some of the highest crime levels globally.
He suggested that such congressional measures could become a template for other American cities. In the past, he has warned of taking similar actions in Democratic-run cities like Chicago, which he accuses of failing to curb crime.
Posting a lengthy statement on Truth Social, Trump alleged that murder rates in Washington had doubled over the past decade and criticized the city’s Democratic leadership for failing to prosecute offenders.
“Washington, D.C., has one of the worst crime rates in the world—worse than many dangerous developing countries. Its homicide rate surpasses that of Mexico City, Bogota, Islamabad, and Addis Ababa — and is nearly ten times that of Fallujah, Iraq. If D.C. were a U.S. state, it would rank first in homicide rates,” Trump stated.
‘Under Siege by Criminals’
Trump cited the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allows a president to assume control of Washington’s police under emergency conditions for up to 30 days. He warned that if Congress failed to extend this authority, he could declare an “emergency” to continue it.
“The real numbers are far worse. A precinct commander was recently suspended for allegedly altering violent crime data. The D.C. Police Union says the actual figures are much higher. Because the Democratic government has largely stopped investigating and prosecuting many crimes, the official statistics barely reflect the reality. Shoplifters face no arrests. Residents, fearful for their safety, avoid calling police and refuse to go out after dark, essentially living as prisoners in their own city,” he claimed.
Trump argued that actual crime in Washington is five to ten times greater than reported, calling the city “under siege from thugs and killers.” He declared:
“The White House is in control. The military and our brave police will reclaim this city, clean it up, and make it safe, livable, and beautiful again.”
‘Authoritarian Move’
National Guard troops began patrolling Washington on Tuesday, following Trump’s announcement a day earlier that he was placing the city’s police “under direct federal control.” According to the BBC, 800 guard members were deployed.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said federal agents arrested at least 23 people on Monday for crimes ranging from homicide to firearms violations and drug trafficking.
“Over the next month, the Trump administration will track down and arrest every violent criminal in the District who breaks the law, threatens public safety, and endangers law-abiding Americans,” Leavitt stated.
Washington’s Mayor Muriel Bowser rejected Trump’s claims of a crime crisis, labeling his deployment of troops an “authoritarian move.” She urged residents to stand up for the city’s autonomy, protect home rule, and vote in a Democratic House to act as a safeguard against what she called “this authoritarian push.”
Despite Trump’s assertions, both federal and city crime statistics indicate that violent crime in Washington has dropped sharply, reaching its lowest point in three decades since a surge in 2023.
