In a move that has never been done before, President Donald Trump has taken direct federal control of the police department in Washington, D.C., saying there is a crime crisis that requires urgent action. This decision also includes sending 800 National Guard troops to patrol the streets of the city. As a result, the local elected leaders no longer have authority over their own police force.
This federal takeover (similar to the one that happened in LA) is happening even though official data from the D.C. police shows that violent crime has been going down for two years in a row, and murders have also decreased, per Washington Post. The president’s administration has already started sending federal agents, including FBI officers, to help local police, especially in stopping carjackings and other violent crimes.
Washington, D.C., is not a state, and so the federal government has wide power to step in and manage its affairs. This legal setup allowed the president to declare an emergency and take over the Metropolitan Police Department for up to 30 days, a time period he has said he plans to use fully. To run the police department, the president has chosen Terry Cole, who is currently in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Cole was sworn in as the head of the DEA just last month.
Trump is taking over DC
Trump has been publicly talking about a tough approach to law enforcement, where federal agents, D.C. police, and the National Guard use strong physical force to scare people who break the law. At a recent White House press conference, the president said that criminals only understand force. He also claimed, “They fight back until you knock the hell out of them, because it’s the only language they understand. It’s a disgusting thing. It’s becoming a situation of complete and total lawlessness, and we’re getting rid of the slums, too. I know it’s not politically correct. You’ll say, ‘Oh, so terrible.’ No, we’re getting rid of the slums where they live.”
According to someone familiar with discussions inside the White House, a recent attack on a former U.S. DOGE Service employee, which led to the arrest of two teenagers, was a major reason why the president decided to act. As part of this new plan, the administration also wants to change the juvenile justice system in Washington, D.C. Attorney General Jeanine Pirro, who was appointed in May, announced a proposal to lower the age at which young people can be charged as adults.
Hundreds of National Guard troops to flood Washington DC as Trump posts images of homeless from motorcade: 'We want our Capital BACK' https://t.co/cmpidqGliN
— Boone Cutler
(@boonecutler) August 11, 2025
Right now, under D.C. law, federal prosecutors handle adult cases and can charge 16- and 17-year-olds as adults for certain violent crimes. Pirro, however, said she wants to lower that age to 14. Local officials in D.C. strongly disagree with the president’s claim that crime is out of control. Mayor Muriel Bowser has repeatedly pointed out that violent crime is down by 26 percent and murders by 12 percent compared to last year.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb released a statement calling the administration’s actions “unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful.” He emphasized that violent crime hit a 30-year low last year and is still dropping. Schwalb also said the city is looking at every possible way to protect its residents’ rights.
