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12 Aug 2025, 13:25

Trump announced control over Washington D.C. police

  • Trump announced control over Washington D.C. police
  • The National Guard has been deployed to restore law and order
  • Reactions among residents were mixed following the president's actions

This is reported by El País, Global Times.

On August 11, 2025, President Donald Trump announced the deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., with the aim of restoring law and order. He activated 800 members of the guard and announced a state of emergency in the public safety sector, as well as federal control over the district's police.

This move was made possible under the Home Rule Act of the District of Columbia, enacted on December 24, 1973. The law grants the president the right to temporarily control the police in emergency situations. Trump became the first president to invoke this power, naming the initiative "Day of Liberation".

According to data, the district's police had previously demonstrated a decrease in crime rates, but Trump asserts that the situation is critical. Washington's Mayor, Muriel Bowser, acknowledged that the city must adhere to the law, but described the president's actions as "extraordinary" and "unnecessary." She emphasized that crime had decreased by 26% in 2025.

Trump's actions have provoked mixed reactions in the community. Some residents support his decision, believing that the city needs help in ensuring public safety, while others criticize federal intervention in local affairs.

Critics, including representatives of the Democratic Party, have called these actions "an aggressive assault" on the autonomous district. They also advocate for legislation that would give the District of Columbia greater control over its own police.

Tags: USA/Politics

Articles on this topic:

  • www.vox.com - There’s a big, important limit on Trump’s power to seize control of DC’s police
  • www.independent.co.uk - Trump says crime in DC is ‘out of control’. The stats say different
  • www.globaltimes.cn - Trump announces deployment of National Guard in Washington DC, sparking mixed reactions, partisan spats: media
  • english.elpais.com - What is the DC Home Rule Act that Trump used to ‘take control’ of Washington, D.C.?
  • www.theguardian.com - Trump will ignore crime reduction data for the political value of a show of force
  • www.independent.co.uk - Trump wants to put Washington DC under full federal control. Can he?
  • www.independent.co.uk - Pentagon is already calling National Guard in other states looking for units that could help in DC
  • www.forbes.com - Democrats Condemn Trump’s D.C. Takeover Plans As Federal Agents Begin Patrolling Capital
  • www.independent.co.uk - Trump wants to put Washington DC under full federal control. Here’s why he probably can’t
  • www.independent.co.uk - The Latest: National Guard troops arrive in Washington DC as Trump’s federal takeover begins