Trump Federalizes D.C. Police Amid Soaring Crime

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser lashed out Monday after President Donald Trump announced he was deploying the National Guard and taking control of D.C.’s police force to address surging violence in the nation’s capital. Calling the move “unsettling and unprecedented,” Bowser insisted that crime was dropping despite data showing the city remains one of the most dangerous in America.

Trump invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, declaring a public emergency and placing the Metropolitan Police Department under the Justice Department’s authority. The decision follows years of skyrocketing crime, soft-on-crime policies, and a city leadership more focused on political optics than public safety.

Bowser tried to downplay the crisis, blaming Trump’s perspective on “COVID-era” conditions and insisting her policies have produced a 30-year low in violent crime. But the numbers tell a far different story:

• D.C. ranked fourth in the nation for homicides in 2024, with a rate nearly six times higher than New York City.

• The capital’s homicide rate exceeded those of Atlanta, Chicago, and even Compton, California.

• The D.C. Police Union has accused city leadership of falsifying crime statistics to make the situation look better than it is.

Federal authorities are also investigating a police commander accused of altering crime stats allegations surfacing after the officer filed a complaint against a superior. The probe fuels concerns that the so-called “crime drop” Bowser is touting is little more than political window dressing.

For years, Democrats running major cities have pushed for reduced policing, lenient sentencing, and progressive “criminal justice reform.” The result? Criminals walk free while law-abiding citizens live in fear. In 2023, D.C. experienced one of its sharpest spikes in violent crime in decades including a staggering 35% increase in carjackings before Bowser’s administration began scrambling to convince residents things were improving.

While Bowser admitted Trump has the legal authority to take control of local law enforcement, she used the opportunity to once again push for D.C. statehood. But as the White House pointed out, if D.C. were a state, it would have the highest homicide rate in the country a chilling statistic that underscores just how far the city has fallen under Democratic rule.

Trump’s move is a direct challenge to the failed leadership that has allowed the nation’s capital to descend into chaos. With federal control now in place, Washington residents may finally see policies that prioritize safety over political narratives.

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