President Donald Trump announced that he would federalize the DC police and deploy the National Guard to the nation’s capital to address crime in the city.
In a press conference, Trump said DC was “unsafe, dirty, and disgusting,” adding “This is Liberation Day in DC, and we’re going to take our capital back.”
“I’m officially invoking the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. And placing the DC Metropolitan Police under direct federal control,” he continued.
The law allows the president to federalize the DC police force for 30 days. To extend the action, he would need approval from Congress.
“In addition, I’m deploying the National Guard to help restore law, order and public safety,” he added. The White House is planning to deploy 800 members of the National Guard to the capital.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said residents of DC would soon see the National Guard in the capital. “You will see them flowing into the streets of Washington in the coming week,” Hegseth explained. “At your direction as well, sir, there are other units we are prepared to bring in – other National Guard units, other specialized units. They will be strong, they will be tough and they will stand with their law enforcement partners.”
Trump threatened to take similar steps in other major cities, but voiced hopes that some of them would “self-clean up.” “If we need to, we’re going to do the same thing in Chicago, which is a disaster,” the president said.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser called Trump’s actions “unsettling and unprecedented.”
