Trump to Deploy National Guard to D.C. and Federalize City Police

Mimi Montgomery

President Trump announced Monday that he's seizing control of D.C.'s police force and deploying the National Guard into the city.

Why it matters: It's a major escalation of a federal crackdown already underway in the nation's capital as Trump targets crime in the District following the assault of a former DOGE staffer.

The big picture: The news comes on what Trump is calling the "Liberation Day" of D.C., which he has said is "one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world," despite violent crime trending down in the District for the second straight year.

State of play: 800 National Guard members are being called to D.C., Trump said at a Monday press conference, adding that he may bring in the military "if needed."

The D.C. Guard is the country's only National Guard unit reporting exclusively to the president.

Trump can temporarily take over D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department — which includes more than 3,000 sworn members — for up to 30 days under the city's Home Rule Act. It's the first time a president has invoked the provision.

Attorney General Pam Bondi will assume control of the city's police, Trump said.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is removing homeless encampments from parks in the city.

What they're saying: "We're going to take our Capital back," Trump said at the press conference.

"[It's] been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people, and we're not going to let it happen anymore."

The other side: Although Mayor Muriel Bowser called the announcements "unsettling and unprecedented" during a separate press conference Monday, she made it clear that she plans to comply with Trump's orders.

She and D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith painted the takeover as an opportunity for the city to collaborate with the federal government and build upon existing crime-fighting strategies.

But Bowser appeared to take umbrage with Trump's military threat. "We don't believe it's legal to use the American military against American citizens on American soil," the mayor said.

Reality check: Violent crime is down in all categories in Washington during the first half of 2025, according to new data from an organization of law enforcement executives.

Homicides in Washington are down 12% from this time in 2024, per city police data.

While homicides are declining from a pandemic-era spike, they've been trending higher than a decade ago.

Catch up quick: Trump's announcement comes after around 450 federal law enforcement officers from departments including the Amtrak Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of the Interior were already deployed across D.C. Saturday and Sunday nights, according to Fox 5 and the White House.

Officers made multiple arrests Saturday night, including for larceny, carrying pistols without a license, and a "final order of removal" of an undocumented immigrant, per the White House. They also confiscated drugs like fentanyl, crack cocaine and methamphetamine.

Officers also made several arrests on Friday and claimed multiple guns, per Fox 5.