Voices, Votes & Vision: The Latest in Politics & Public Policy
- President Donald Trump announced the deployment of the National Guard to enhance public safety in Washington, D.C..
- Trump declared a public safety emergency despite reports showing that crime is declining in the city.
- Mayor Muriel Bowser criticized the use of the Guard, suggesting resources should focus on judicial vacancies instead.
- District’s legal authorities described the federal takeover as unnecessary and potentially facing legal challenges.
- Trump indicated a potential shift in marijuana policy, considering reclassification of the drug due to mixed public opinion.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is deploying the National Guard to Washington, D.C., and placing the city’s police department under federal control in an effort to boost public safety in the nation’s capital.
“I’m deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, DC,” Trump told reporters at a news conference at the White House. “And they’re going to be allowed to do their job properly.”
READ MORE: Section 740: How long will DC police be under federal control?
Trump pointed to several recent high-profile incidents in Washington, including the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old congressional intern and the assault of a DOGE staffer during an attempted carjacking.
READ MORE: Family of congressional intern gunned down in DC speaks out: ‘He had big plans’
“This is liberation day in D.C. and we’re going to take our Capitol back,” he said.
Trump formally declared a public safety emergency, despite recent data showing crime is on the decline in the District. He compared crime in the U.S. capital to that in Baghdad, Brasília, and Bogotá, and said the city ranks poorly in global safety. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi will take responsibility of the D.C. police department, he said.
READ MORE: ‘Big Balls’ DC attack update: Police release photo of person of interest
National Guard deployment timeline
Trump said he signed a presidential memorandum deploying 800 National Guard members to support law enforcement in D.C. He said he is invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to take over Washington’s police force. He also issued formal notification letters to Mayor Muriel Bowser and congressional leaders.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth likened the move to past deployments at the southern border and in Los Angeles. “We will work alongside all D.C. police and federal law enforcement,” Hegseth said, noting that Guard troops will begin arriving in the city over the coming week.
He added that the Pentagon is prepared to activate additional National Guard units and other specialized teams if needed.
READ MORE: Section 740: What we know about DC police federal takeover
DC crime stats
By the numbers:
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser questioned the effectiveness of using the Guard to enforce city laws. She said federal support would be better directed toward filling judicial vacancies or funding more prosecutors.
“I just think that’s not the most efficient use of our Guard,” Bowser said Sunday on MSNBC’s The Weekend, while recognizing that deployment is ultimately the president’s decision.
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Bowser pointed to a steady decline in violent crime since a spike in 2023. City data shows violent crime is down 26% compared to this time last year, following a 35% drop in 2024 from the previous year.
Trump also said his administration has begun clearing homeless encampments from city parks. “We’re getting rid of the slums, too,” he said, adding Washington was just the start.
READ MORE: Who is Mike Gill? Trump remembers slain former official in addressing DC crime
Top DC prosecutor reacts
The District’s top prosecutor is pushing back against President Trump’s move to take control of the city’s police department, calling it “unnecessary and unlawful.”
Attorney General Brian Schwalb said crime in Washington is not at emergency levels. After a spike in 2023, violent crime dropped to its lowest point in decades last year and has continued to decline in 2025, he said.
Schwalb warned the federal takeover could face legal challenges and said his office is “considering all of our options.”
Federal presence intensified over the weekend
On Saturday, federal presence intensified, with 450 officers reportedly deployed across all four quadrants of the city. No arrest data has been released yet.
Also on Saturday, agents were seen in the Navy Yard area of the District, where D.C. police say a teen fired a gun toward a crowd of juveniles near the M Street Metro station. The teen was arrested. The FBI has since assigned officers to overnight patrols throughout the city.
READ MORE: 450 federal officers deployed across DC on Saturday as Mayor Bowser speaks out
Reclassifying marijuana
During the press conference, Trump also said he’s considering reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, signaling a possible shift in federal policy. “We’re looking at reclassification,” Trump told reporters.
He said a decision could come in the next few weeks, calling the issue “very complicated” due to mixed public opinion. While warning that marijuana “does bad for the children,” Trump acknowledged hearing “great things” about its medical use. Reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance would make it significantly easier to buy and sell cannabis legally.
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An US Capitol Police office enters his car parked on the side walk near the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on August 8, 2025. US President Donald Trump ordered on August 7 to use federal law enforcement in Washington, DC to combat crime. (Photo by Jim
The Source: Information in this article was taken from Truth Social posts by President Donald Trump, FOX News and The Associated Press. Background information was taken from previous FOX 5 DC reporting.
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