President Donald Trump on Monday said he is mobilizing the National Guard in Washington, D.C., and taking control of the city's police force as part of his administration's effort to combat crime in the nation's capital.
"I'm announcing a historic action to rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor and worse," the president said during a White House press conference. "This is liberation day in D.C. and we're going to take our capital back. We're taking it back."
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"Under the authorities vested in me as president of the United States, I'm officially invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act — you know what that is — and placing the Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control," he added.
Under the law, the president can federalize Washington, D.C.’s police force for up to 48 hours before notifying Congress, and for a maximum of 30 days before receiving congressional approval.
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Crime and homelessness are issues Trump has frequently criticized, calling Washington, D.C., unsafe and poorly managed.
Despite Trump's claims, statistics indicate violent crime is down 26% in Washington, D.C., compared to this same time last year. There has also been a significant drop since a spike in 2023.
His new focus, however, appears to be driven by the recent attempted carjacking involving a former Department of Government Efficiency worker. Specifically concerning carjackings, the numbers have remained steady in 2025. Trump has also discussed teenage crime in recent days, arguing that the juvenile justice system’s consequences are insufficient and expressing a desire to try some teens as adults.
"[Washington, D.C.] has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World," Trump said. "It will soon be one of the safest!"
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In addition to crime, Trump has targeted homelessness recently, stating that individuals experiencing homelessness in Washington, D.C., need to leave the city immediately. He mentioned that these individuals would have a place to stay, but not within the capital, though details on this plan remain unclear given the longstanding issue of homelessness in the district.
"The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY," Trump said in a statement. "We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong. It’s all going to happen very fast, just like the Border."
Opponents of the administration's policies on homelessness argue it doesn't address the root problem.
"We should be investing in the production of housing that will reduce homelessness. Criminalizing people does not solve homelessness," said Donald Whitehead, the executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless.
Whitehead worries the plan could be a blueprint for addressing the issue across the country.
The president's announcement Monday comes after an executive order signed last month aimed at making it easier for states and cities to put mentally ill people who are homeless into institutions.
According to government data, more than 770,000 people experienced homelessness in the U.S. In 2024, the most on record.
And the number of families experiencing homelessness increased by 39 percent.
That's proof policy needs to change, says Stephen Eide, a senior fellow with the right-leaning Manhattan Institute.
"When a problem gets as big as it has ever gotten by the normal ways in which we measure that, and a new administration comes in, you get to change the reigning policy," Eide said.
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While the president has the authority to call in the National Guard, the mayor is particularly wary of this action, calling it “unsettling” but not without precedent.
“My message to residents is this,” Bowser said. “We know that access to our democracy is tenuous. That is why you have heard me and many Washingtonians before me advocate for full statehood.”
According to The Associated Press, Trump has already tasked some 500 federal law enforcement officers to deploy throughout the nation's capital in an effort to combat crime.
