Trump Announces Takeover of DC Police in Push Against Crime, Homelessness
Also today: Swiss politicians call for congestion charge for foreign drivers, and New York warns of biggest budget hole since 2009.
DC Metropolitan police officers during a protest near the White House on Monday after President Donald Trump announced he would take control of the city’s police.
Photographer: Al Drago/BloombergPresident Donald Trump declared a public safety emergency in Washington, DC, on Monday and announced a federal takeover of the city’s police department. The administration will also deploy the National Guard as part of a push to “take our capital back” from what he described as rampant crime and homelessness. Official data from DC’s Metropolitan Police department show that violent crime in the city fell to a 30-year low in 2024.
Under DC’s “home rule” law — which allows the city of 700,000 to elect a mayor and city council members — the president is able to temporarily seize control of the city’s police during a state of emergency. After 30 days, Congress would have to authorize the action. Trump stopped short of overriding home rule, which would also require congressional approval.