Donald Trump and other members of his administration have been blasting Washington, D.C. for what they call an unacceptable level of crime. At the same time, reports suggest that the nation’s capital is actually experiencing a three-decade low in crime rates. Now, Trump’s DOJ is investigating whether the crime rates declared by D.C. have been manipulated.
The DOJ and D.C. have been at loggerheads since Trump deployed the National Guard to the city. The entire directive was inspired by a former DOJ employee allegedly being attacked in the streets of D.C. while trying to defend a woman targeted by carjackers. This move drew harsh criticism toward the Trump administration, with detractors pointing to how he handled another dire situation in Los Angeles as an example of why bringing in the National Guard was overzealous.
Furthermore, the Attorney General of Washington, D.C. also took Trump’s DOJ to court when they attempted to take over the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). It didn’t take long before the DOJ backtracked and shifted focus toward ensuring the MPD helped enforce immigration laws in the city. This included providing transport facilitation for CBP and ICE, as well as discussions about the MPD checking the legal status of individuals stopped during traffic violations.
When the DOJ agreed to pull back on some of its directives, Trump personally thanked MPD Chief Pamela Smith for her cooperation. That relationship remains intact even with this new DOJ investigation into crime rates, with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also stating that she would cooperate. According to CNN, Bowser said, “Any questions about data from DOJ we will happily answer.”
According to reports, an MPD commander has already been placed on administrative leave amid suspicions of falsifying crime data by downgrading certain offenses so that the city’s crime rate appeared to be improving on paper. Trump weighed in on Truth Social, posting, “D.C. gave Fake Crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety. This is a very bad and dangerous thing to do, and they are under serious investigation for so doing!”
Trump has repeatedly slammed Democrats for the crime rate while claiming his administration has already begun reducing crime in the capital. Vice President J.D. Vance told Laura Ingraham during a Fox News interview that despite concerns the National Guard’s presence in D.C. resembled martial law, the administration has ensured the murder rate has dropped 35% in nine days — a claim that suggests the Trump administration still believes the crime data previously reported by D.C. to some extent.
INGRAHAM: People say you all are gonna roll through other cities — 'Oh, martial law is gonna be declared.' And to that you say?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 20, 2025
JD VANCE: How is it a power grab when we've already declined murders by 35% in nine days? pic.twitter.com/uWA3SDEr0t
Mayor Bowser and Chief Smith are believed to be expecting subpoenas in the near future and have expressed their willingness to assist the Trump administration in its pursuit of more information. Smith has been in constant daily communication with federal partners, who are already being asked to provide resources in specific areas of the city.
Both the mayor and the chief declined to directly comment on the new investigation by the DOJ.
