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(NewsNation) — The national authorities presently controls the constabulary successful Washington, D.C., and it volition apt beryllium that mode for astatine slightest a month.
President Donald Trump has portrayed his latest determination — which helium announced alongside the deployment of 800 D.C. National Guard troops — arsenic a mode to curb crime successful the nation's capital. If the takeover lasts longer than 30 days, it volition necessitate legislature approval.
Trump said the law enforcement takeover is portion of his program to ace down connected violence and homelessness successful the district, which helium described arsenic a halfway of "bloodshed, bedlam and squalor," contempt violent transgression numbers connected the decline.
“Our superior metropolis has been overtaken by convulsive gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of chaotic youth, drugged-out maniacs and stateless people, and we’re not going to fto it hap anymore,” the president told a packed White House property briefing room.
The activated national troops won't openly transportation weapons, but they volition assistance law enforcement with logistics, an Army spokesperson told NewsNation.
DC constabulary invited National Guard, portion others protest
Following Monday's announcement, a rally formed extracurricular the White House opposing Trump's plans for the congressionally established national district.
Residents who spoke with NewsNation weren’t sold connected the president’s claims of rampant convulsive crime.
“I deliberation D.C. is already 1 of the astir policed cities successful the country, and this is intelligibly conscionable meant to further brutalize Black and brownish people,” said Rebecca, a D.C. nonmigratory of 10 years. “Being successful the city, tiny transgression is simply a portion of life, you know. You get tons of benefits to metropolis beingness and you person to woody with a small spot of transgression too."
A D.C. Metropolitan Police Department car is parked adjacent a rally against the Trump administration's national takeover of the District of Columbia, extracurricular of the AFL-CIO connected Aug. 11, 2025, successful Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Kelsye Adams, organizing manager of DC Vote, speaks astatine a rally against the Trump administration's national takeover of the District of Columbia connected Aug. 11, 2025. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump shows transgression statistic arsenic helium delivers remarks during a quality league astatine the White House connected Aug. 11, 2025, successful Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump speaks during a quality league to sermon transgression successful Washington, D.C, astatine the White House connected Aug. 11, 2025. Also pictured, from left, are U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / GETTY-AFP)
Violent transgression successful D.C. is down 26% from past year, according to information from Washington’s Metropolitan Police.
When compared to the district's highest numbers successful 2023, homicides are down 32%, equipped carjackings are down 53% and assaults with a unsafe limb are down 27%.
Gregg Pemberton, D.C. constabulary national chief, told NewsNation's "CUOMO" that helium and his section are afloat connected committee with the troops' help.
“I deliberation they volition person a large interaction connected really being capable to marque arrests and bash investigations. So, we invited each of this help,” Pemberton said Monday.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, however, called the takeover "unsettling and unnecessary."
Will Trump deploy National Guard troops successful different cities?
Trump named New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Oakland arsenic imaginable places to grow his crackdown.
He didn't springiness details connected erstwhile oregon however that would happen, but helium urged those cities to ticker what plays retired successful D.C. and to cleanable up their act.
Last week, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which is made up of astir 1,400 metropolis leaders from crossed the country, pointed to an FBI study that showed convulsive transgression nationwide dropped 4.5% from 2023 to 2024.
NewsNation's Anna Kutz, Joe Khalil, Sean Noone and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
