WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump announced on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, the deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., and the federalization of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department to combat what he described as rampant crime and homelessness in the nation’s capital. The move, which Trump called a “historic action to rescue our nation’s capital,” has sparked controversy, with local leaders contradicting his claims of a crime crisis.
Speaking at a White House news conference, Trump declared a public safety emergency in Washington, asserting that the city had become “one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world.” He vowed to “liberate” the capital from “crime, bloodshed, bedlam, squalor, and worse,” citing incidents like the Aug. 3 assault on Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old staffer in Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, during an attempted carjacking. Trump also ordered the immediate relocation of the city’s homeless population, stating, “We will give you places to stay, but far from the capital.”
The deployment includes approximately 800 National Guard troops and 500 federal law enforcement officers from agencies such as the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Secret Service. Trump invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to justify the federal takeover, though legal experts note this authority lasts only 30 days without congressional approval. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser criticized the move as “hyperbolic and false,” pointing to police data showing a 26% drop in violent crime in 2025 compared to 2024, with homicides down 12%. “We are not experiencing a spike in crime,” Bowser said, suggesting federal resources would be better spent on prosecutors or judicial vacancies.
During the same news conference, Trump singled out Baltimore, calling it “so far gone” on crime, alongside cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Oakland. He claimed these cities were plagued by violence, despite Baltimore’s progress in reducing crime. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott swiftly rebuked Trump’s remarks, noting a 28% decrease in homicides in 2025, marking the city’s lowest levels on record. “Baltimore is the safest it’s been in over 50 years,” Scott said in a statement, accusing Trump of using “right-wing propaganda” to distract from economic issues tied to his policies. Scott emphasized that Baltimore’s success stemmed from local, state, and federal partnerships, not federal overreach.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore issued the following statement on Monday:
“President Trump’s decision to mobilize the National Guard to conduct municipal policing in D.C. lacks seriousness and is deeply dangerous.
“As someone who has served overseas in uniform and is commander-in-chief of the Maryland Guard, I take how, when, and why we deploy members of our armed forces personally and seriously. These actions by the president lack both data and a battle plan. He is simply using honorable men and women as pawns to distract us from his policies, which continue to drive up unemployment and strip away health care and food assistance from those who need it most.
“If the president wants to have a serious conversation about how to reduce violent crime, he should look at what we’ve been able to do in Maryland. We’ve achieved among the most impressive drops in violent crime anywhere in the country over the past two and a half years, and according to the most current data, homicides are down by more than 20% statewide since our inauguration. Baltimore is the safest it has been in five decades, through strong partnerships with Mayor Brandon Scott, law enforcement, and the people who call Baltimore home.
“We await outreach from the White House if they want to have a serious conversation about public safety. But we won’t hold our breath.”
Photo via the White House/public domain
