Trump Deploys 800 National Guard Troops to D.C. Amid Crime Claims

President Donald Trump has taken unprecedented federal control of Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department and deployed 800 National Guard troops to the city under a declared "crime emergency," despite official data showing violent crime at a 30-year low. Trump justified the move by citing recent incidents such as an attempted carjacking and described the city as overrun by violent gangs and disorder, signaling potential similar actions in other Democratic-led cities like Chicago and Los Angeles. The action bypassed local leadership, notably upsetting D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who condemned the takeover as "unsettling and unprecedented" and disputed claims of a crime surge. Trump's invocation of the Home Rule Act allows temporary federal control of the police force, a move that has drawn significant political backlash from local officials and Democrats, who are planning resolutions to end the federal takeover. Despite the controversy, Trump emphasized his intention to remove homeless encampments and address urban disorder, framing the operation as part of a broader law-and-order campaign. This escalation reflects Trump's unorthodox use of executive authority and signals a continued federal intervention approach in cities governed by Democrats.