Trump Invokes Home Rule Act, Federalizes D.C. Police, Deploys National Guard

President Trump has invoked Section 740 of the 1973 Home Rule Act to place Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploy the National Guard to address crime and public safety issues in the nation's capital. This emergency federalization, which lasts up to 30 days unless extended by Congress, places Attorney General Pam Bondi in command of the police force and authorizes the Secretary of Defense to deploy National Guard troops. Trump described the action as a necessary step to rescue the city from "crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor," calling it "liberation day" for D.C. Some local officials, including members of the D.C. City Council, have expressed outrage, viewing the move as an infringement on the District’s self-governance, while Senator Mike Lee supports repealing the Home Rule Act to restore federal oversight. The Home Rule Act originally allowed D.C. residents to elect their own mayor and council but maintained Congressional authority and presidential oversight in emergencies, such as this one. Trump also announced plans to work with Congress on reforms aimed at reducing crime, including eliminating no cash bail policies in D.C. and other cities.