Why is Trump sending the American National Guard to Washington, DC? | Donald Trump News

President Donald Trump announced that he was temporarily Take control of the Washington, DCDepartment of Police, while deploying 800 troops of the National Guard in the city.

Trump said her Actions are necessary To “save” the American capital from an increase in crime.

While violent crimes increased in Washington, DC, in 2023, the data showed that it has dropped quickly since then.

Here is what we know:

What did Trump announce?

At a 78 -minute press conference, Trump announced that the federal government would take control of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (DC) to fight crime.

“I am announcing a historic action to save the capital of our country from crime, blood, Bedlam and misery and worse,” said Trump during the conference during which he was joined by the American prosecutor Pam Bondi, who will supervise the city’s police while it is under federal control.

“It is the day of the Liberation at DC, and we will resume our capital. We take it back,” said Trump.

“Under the authorities that have been conferred on me as President of the United States, I officially invoke article 740 of the law on the domicile of the District of Columbia … and I place DC Metropolitan and Police Department under direct federal control,” he said.

He also announced the deployment of the National Guard.

“I deploy the National Guard to help restore law, order and public security in Washington, DC, and they will be allowed to do their job properly,” he said.

Trump also said that he intended to withdraw the population from the capital’s homeless, but did not provide details on how the plan would be carried out.

What is the 1973 rule law?

The 1973 Home Rule Act is a US federal law This gave Washington, DC, an important degree of government autonomy for the first time.

Washington, DC, is the seat of the federal government and the only American city which is not one of the 50 states. Consequently, he has no representation of voting in the congress.

For about a century, until 1973, the city was led by three commissioners appointed by the presidency. Until then, it was the president, Richard Nixon, signed the law on the rule of the domicile, allowing residents of the district to elect a mayor and a municipal council.

But the Home Rule Act also indicates that the president can take control of the city’s police forces if “special conditions of an emergency exist”.

This is something that Trump threatened to do in 2020, among the demonstrations on a national scale in the face of the murder of George Floyd. City police can be used for federal purposes.

The president can use DC police forces for 48 hours, or up to 30 days if he informs the congress.

Trump said he was planning to maintain the federal control of the force exceeding the first 48 hours and will officially inform the appropriate parties.

The mayor of Washington, DC, Muriel Bowser, is categorical about the control of the city: “Let me be clear. Chef Pamela Smith is the head of the metropolitan police service, and his 3,100 members work under his direction. ”

“Nothing on our organizational painting has changed,” said Bowser. “And nothing in the decree, would indicate the opposite.”

According to a political media report, federal law enforcement agents will be responsible for protecting federal buildings and national monuments.

What do we know about the deployment of the National Guard?

According to a statement from the US military, “between 100 and 200 soldiers will support the police at any time”.

“Their functions will include a range of tasks of the administration, logistics and physical presence in support of the police,” said the army.

The National Guard will operate under the status of title 32, which means that they remain under local control but are funded by the federal government. In this status, they are not linked by the posse Comitatus Act, which prevents American soldiers from engaging in law enforcement activities.

US Secretary for Defense Pete Hegseth said the guard would start to enter DC this week.

According to a CNN report, the troops deployed should not openly transport rifles while they are patrolling the streets. Instead, they will probably keep their weapons nearby, for example, in their trucks, so that they can access it if necessary for self -defense, said the official.

Hegseth said the Pentagon was “ready to bring in other units from the National Guard – other specialized units”, but did not offer additional details.

When asked if the soldiers would help clean up the city’s homeless, Hegseth said soldiers would help local police.

“Our work is to stand alongside the police,” he said.

Why does Trump take these measures?

In the decree, Trump declares that the increase in violence In the capital has become an emergency.

“Growing violence in the capital is now urgently highlights civil servants, citizens and tourists, disrupts safe and secure transport and the proper functioning of the federal government,” said the order.

“The extent of the crime of violent crime places the Columbia district among the most violent jurisdictions in the United States.”

He also indicates that the Attorney General will regularly update the President “on the status of special emergency conditions that exist in the Columbia district”.

Make DC again safe 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/xjricgy4ld

– The White House (@Whitehouse) August 11, 2025

According to reports, this decision seems to have been triggered by an assault involving Edward Coristine, a former staff member of the Ministry of Government (DOGE) and Protege of Elon Musk, who previously directed Doge. According to police, 10 teenagers attacked the 19 -year -old and his partner at the beginning of August 3. Two 15 -year -olds were then arrested and charged.

“If DC does not come together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take federal control of the city, and to manage this city how it should be executed,” wrote Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social, a few days after the attack, with an image showing a shirtless Coristin with what seemed to be splashed on his face, his body and his pistol.

“Perhaps it should have been done a long time ago, so this incredible young man, and so many others, should not have gone through the horrors of violent crime,” added Trump.

Is DC really faced with a criminal emergency?

The mayor of Washington, DC, Bowser, questioned the effectiveness of the deployment of the National Guard to enforce local laws, claiming that more funding for prosecutors would make a more significant difference.

During a press conference on Monday, the mayor said that Trump’s perception of the city was “shaped by his comfortable experience of sight during his first mandate”.

“It is true that these are more difficult moments linked to certain problems. It is also true that we experienced a crime of crime after picking, but we worked quickly to set up laws and tactics that withdrew violent delinquents from our street and gave our police officers more tools, “she said.

According to Bowser, violent crime is now at 30 in Washington, DC.

Washington, the number of DC crimes was questioned after the authorities began to investigate the allegations that certain figures have been changed to improve the situation.

But Bowser supported the data and said that Trump’s DC image as a right is wrong.

In January, the Ministry of Justice reported that violent crimes in the national capital fell by 35% from 2023 to 2024.

Official Crime Statistics of the DC Metropolitan Police Department show that violent crimes decreased between 2023 and 2024, and the preliminary data of 2025 indicate that the data The trend continues.

This year’s data show that homicides dropped by 12% and attacks with dangerous weapons of 20%.

The FBI, however, said that violent national crimes have also dropped 4.5% in 2024compared to 2023.