US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he is placing the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department "under direct federal control" and deploying National Guard troops to the nation's capital, citing a public safety emergency after an attack on a former civil servant, UNN reports with reference to CNN.
Details
As CNN notes, the move relies on broad but temporary powers granted by the 1973 U.S. Home Rule Act, which balances local self-government with federal oversight in the capital. While the U.S. president can take control of a police department for up to two days, extending these powers would require notifying Congress or changing the law.
This is the first time in the law's history that a U.S. president has taken control of a city's police force.
Trump's statement came after an attack on a 19-year-old former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee during an attempted carjacking on August 3. Although Trump has repeatedly criticized what he calls a surge in violent crime in Washington, the overall crime rate this year is lower than last year, the publication notes.
"Washington, D.C. will be liberated today!" Trump said Monday on his Truth Social page.
The statement also came as Trump administration lawyers were in court Monday on the first day of a trial challenging the legality of Trump's deployment of the National Guard in California in June amid protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles.
What do district leaders say?
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and leaders of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department were unaware of Trump's intentions before his announcement, three sources told CNN.
Bowser called the move "alarming and unprecedented" at a press conference Monday, saying she believed Trump's view of D.C. was "shaped by his experience in the COVID-19 era during his first term," when crime surged.
D.C. police union chairman Greggory Pemberton said the organization supports the move and agrees that "something needs to be done."
National Guard and FBI agents are already working with police
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Trump also activated 800 D.C. National Guard troops, with up to 200 of them deployed to support law enforcement.
"The duties of these personnel include administrative and logistical functions, as well as providing a physical presence to support law enforcement," the Department of Defense said.
In addition to the police, Trump has broad jurisdiction over city affairs. The headquarters of numerous federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are located in the city and report directly to the administration.
Last weekend, Trump transferred personnel from several federal agencies, including up to 130 FBI agents, to patrol several areas of D.C. in conjunction with the police.