Trump Orders Federal Crime Surge in Washington DC Amid City Opposition

President Donald Trump has initiated a surge of federal law enforcement in Washington, DC, aiming to address crime and homelessness by deploying agencies such as the U.S. Park Police, FBI, DEA, and U.S. Marshals to high-crime and tourist areas. Despite the District reporting a 26% drop in violent crime, Trump has criticized the city's handling of crime and threatened to federalize the city and potentially deploy the National Guard. Mayor Muriel Bowser has pushed back against these claims, defending the city's police department, highlighting a two-year decline in violent crime, and calling comparisons of DC to war-torn regions hyperbolic. Bowser advocates for increased federal support in the form of more prosecutors, judges, and infrastructure improvements rather than expanded law enforcement presence. The tension underscores a broader debate over federal versus local control of policing in the nation's capital, with Trump emphasizing immediate clampdowns and Bowser emphasizing judicial and community-based solutions. While federal agencies have increased enforcement actions, any further federal takeover would require Congressional approval, given its constitutional authority over DC.