Troops in DC: Trump pleads criminal apocalypse

This “historic action” is intended to “save the federal capital” of the United States from rising crime, according to him, despite falling official statistics. “Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people,” Trump said at a White House press conference.

Yet these claims by the president contrast with the District of Columbia U.S. Attorney’s Office’s local crime report released on January 3, showing the total number of violent crimes for 2024 in the District of Columbia is down 35% from 2023 and is the lowest in more than 30 years. And, that number is down another 26% since the beginning of the year.

Donald Trump urged Washington’s homeless to move “away from the city” in a post on his Truth Social platform.

According to the Department of Housing’s annual report, there were 5,600 homeless people in the nation’s capital in 2024. This makes Washington the 15th most homeless city in the country.

“Too much crime, too much — too many tents on the lawns — these magnificent lawns,” Trump said in February, insisting that the city is a showcase of American power.

Trump also promised on Monday that his initiative would not stop in Washington: “It’s going to go further. We’re starting very strong in [Washington] and we’re going to clean it up very quickly,” he declared. During his presidential campaign, Trump often mentioned this intention for several major cities considered to be Democratic strongholds, such as Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.

Following protests against arrests of immigrants in Los Angeles by the Federal Immigration Police (ICE), Trump had already mobilized the National Guard in California in June, against the advice of the Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom. This measure is still being contested in the courts. Unlike the National Guard in California and other states, the District of Columbia’s falls under the full control of the President. And, unlike the other National Guards, it can be used to carry out law enforcement missions.

Trump applied this measure in the name of Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allows him to control the police for 48 hours in the event of an emergency. Any extension beyond 30 days would require legislation passed by Congress.

National Guard troops will be landing in the city within the next week, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In the meantime, 120 FBI agents have been assigned to patrol the streets of Washington at night.

President Trump warned he could deploy more military directly to join those in the National Guard.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called the measures “troubling and unprecedented”. However, she said she wasn’t totally surprised by Donald Trump’s announcement, given his past statements about the city.

During Trump’s press conference on Monday, dozens of protesters mobilized outside the White House to denounce federal interference in the city’s affairs.