National Guard deployed in DC after Trump takes over police
What's the story
United States National Guard troops have begun appearing on the streets of Washington DC, following President Donald Trump's decision to take over the city's police force. The move comes as Trump claims violent crime in the capital is "out of control." Armored vehicles have been spotted across urban centers and tourist sites since Tuesday evening, with around 800 National Guard troops and 500 federal law enforcement agents expected to be deployed.
Authoritarian push
Mayor calls for residents to protect city autonomy
Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has slammed the troop deployment as an "authoritarian push." The Democrat mayor has called on residents to "protect our city, to protect our autonomy, to protect our home rule and get to the other side of this guy and make sure we elect a Democratic House so that we have a backstop to this authoritarian push," the New York Times reported.
Crime response
Arrests just the beginning of a month-long campaign
Federal agents have already arrested 23 people on various charges, including homicide and drug dealing. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said these arrests are just the beginning of a month-long campaign. "Over the course of the next month, the Trump administration will relentlessly pursue...arrest every violent criminal in the District who breaks the law, undermines public safety, and endangers law-abiding Americans," she said. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that FBI agents were involved in about half of those arrests.
Crime debate
Accusations of 'deliberately falsifying crime data'
According to crime statistics from Washington, DC's Metropolitan Police Department, violent offenses peaked in 2023 and declined 35% last year to their lowest level in three decades. However, Gregg Pemberton, chairman of the DC Police Union, has accused city police of "deliberately falsifying crime data." FBI data also shows a modest decrease of 9% in crime in DC last year.