The mayor of Washington, D.C., has condemned the Trump administration’s federal intervention in the city’s policing, describing the deployment of troops to the capital as unpatriotic.
“American soldiers and airmen policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican,” Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment via email outside office hours.
Why It Matters
It comes after President Donald Trump said at a press conference on Monday that the city “has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people.”
Trump’s intervention marks an unprecedented federal involvement in the local governance of the District of Columbia, using emergency powers that city officials and critics describe as a political power play.
The deployment has sparked backlash over constitutional limits and home rule rights. Critics argue it breaches democratic principles and could set a dangerous national precedent, while supporters frame it as a necessary measure for public order.
What To Know
On Tuesday, 800 National Guard troops arrived in Washington following an order from Trump. The deployment, aimed at addressing crime in the city, stands out as one of the most forceful federal actions in local policing in decades, even as crime rates have fallen to their lowest point in 30 years. Violent crime has plummeted by 26 percent this year compared with the same time last year, according to data from the Washington, D.C., police.
Federal agents have been deployed in busy areas across the city, while National Guard troops patrol key locations such as the National Mall and Union Station.
Washington officials filed a lawsuit against the administration in a bid to stop the federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), according to court documents.
Lawyers representing the Trump administration and Washington, D.C., reached a deal on Friday to partially roll back U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi‘s directive that placed the city’s police department under federal control.
According to the new agreement, the D.C. police chief will continue to lead the Metropolitan Police Department, replacing Bondi’s earlier decision to hand full authority to Terry Cole, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
On Saturday, three Republican-led states announced plans to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to assist with the federal government’s plans, according to statements released by the respective state governors.
West Virginia said it would send 300 to 400 troops, South Carolina pledged 200, and Ohio announced it would deploy 150 troops in the coming days, representing an increase in the federal presence in the city.
Hundreds of Washington, D.C. residents gathered in Dupont Circle on Saturday to protest Trump’s federal takeover of local policing, marching 1.5 miles to the White House while carrying banners that read “No fascist takeover of D.C.”
In March, Trump signed an executive order titled “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.” This directed Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to instruct the National Park Service to remove and clean up all homeless encampments located on federal land within the city that falls under the National Park Service’s authority.
The Trump administration’s crackdown on homelessness in Washington, D.C., has led to the dismantling of numerous encampments across the city.
What People Are Saying
A White House spokesperson told Newsweek on August 16: “The National Guard will protect federal assets, create a safe environment for law enforcement officials to carry out their duties when required, and provide a visible presence to deter crime.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser in an open letter to city residents: “Over the course of a week, the surge in federal law enforcement across D.C. has created waves of anxiety.
President Donald Trump, on Truth Social: “I’m going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before. The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, at a press briefing: “Homeless individuals will be given the option to leave their encampment, to be taken to a homeless shelter, to be offered addiction or mental health services. If they refuse, they will be subjected to fines or jail time.”
What Happens Next
Legal challenges to the federal takeover may be ongoing as the city attempts to wrestle control back from the president.
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