Trump Places DC Police Under Federal Control, Deploys National Guard

President Donald Trump has placed the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deployed 800 National Guard troops to address crime and homelessness, declaring a public safety emergency and promising to "liberate" the city. Trump criticized the city's conditions and vowed to remove homeless encampments, presenting his actions as part of a broader tough-on-crime agenda that could serve as a model for other American cities like Baltimore, Oakland, New York, and Chicago. However, local officials, including D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb and Mayor Muriel Bowser, strongly condemned the move as unlawful, unnecessary, and a violation of D.C.'s home rule, pointing out that violent crime is at historic lows and that the administration cited outdated statistics. The D.C. Police Union, though generally supportive of action to combat crime, stressed that federal intervention should be temporary, with the ultimate goal of supporting a fully staffed local police force. Congressional leaders and other critics labeled the president's takeover as an abuse of power aimed at stoking fear and distracting from broader issues. The deployment and federal takeover have sparked significant controversy over governance, public safety, and civil rights in the nation's capital.