D.C. Mayor Calls Trump Police Takeover Unsettling Amid Federal Control

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser described President Trump's takeover of the city's police force and deployment of the National Guard as "unsettling and unprecedented," but emphasized that she would comply with the federal government's actions under the Home Rule Act, which allows such intervention during emergencies. Bowser disputed Trump's justification of a crime emergency, highlighting that violent crime in the city has actually declined since its post-pandemic peak in 2023 and remains at a 30-year low. While the D.C. police union supported Trump's move as a necessary but temporary measure, Bowser underscored the need for D.C. statehood to prevent future federal overreach. Maryland Governor Wes Moore criticized Trump's deployment of the National Guard as dangerous and politically motivated, urging collaboration based on Maryland's success in reducing homicides. Despite Bowser's cooperation, she maintained that the city government and police department retain their organizational structure and that the federalization does not alter the chief of police's reporting lines to the mayor. The situation has sparked debate over local autonomy, federal authority, and the broader issue of D.C.'s lack of statehood.