Trump Deploys National Guard in Washington, D.C., Takes Control of Local Police
In a dramatic move, the U.S. President announces federal takeover of the capital’s policing, citing spiraling crime and homelessness.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday a sweeping security move in Washington, D.C., ordering the deployment of National Guard forces to the capital and taking control of the city’s police force under federal authority.
Speaking at a press conference in the White House, Trump said he was invoking the “Home Rule Override” law, aimed at transferring Washington’s policing powers from municipal control to the federal government.
“This is Liberation Day in Washington, D.C.,” the President declared. “We’re taking back our capital city.”
Prior to the briefing, reporters were handed charts showing skyrocketing crime rates in the capital. Trump vowed to “start strong” and “clean it up very fast,” describing the city as descending into “complete and total lawlessness.”
The President also targeted homelessness in the capital, saying, “We’re getting rid of the slums. I know it’s not politically correct, but it’s the truth.”
According to Trump, entire neighborhoods are now under emergency curfew, with “caravans of young men riding ATVs and motorcycles, tearing through the streets at all hours of the day.”
The deployment of the National Guard and the federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department mark one of the most controversial domestic security moves of Trump’s presidency, certain to spark legal and political battles in the days ahead.