Trump announces activation of National Guard to resolve Washington crimes

president Donald Trump He is activating National Guard forces and taking over the Metropolitan Police Department to resolve crimes in Washington after strengthening federal law enforcement presence in the U.S. capital on Saturday.

“I’m deploying the National Guard to help rebuild laws, orders and public safety in Washington State,” Trump told reporters at a press conference on Monday. “And they will be allowed to get the job done correctly.”

Trump also said he has responded to the crime in Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department and placed it under the authorization of Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The National Guard is a reserve force that responds to national and federal operations, including natural disasters, and is usually supervised by its respective state governments. But Trump controversially deployed the National Guard from California to respond to the immigration riots in June, bypassing California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s dispatch of troops.

The federal government oversees the District of Columbia National Guard.

“It has become a total lawless situation and we have gotten out of the slums,” Trump said. “We have slums here. We have gotten out of them.”

Trump’s remarks are just here After he promised Washington In a essay in “Social Truth”, it will be “liberated” from “crime, barbarity, dirty and scum.” He said in his post, “The ruthless killing or hurting innocent people is over!”

trump card Propose the idea of taking over The Washington Metropolitan Police Department and used the National Guard to attack a former Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer in Washington’s Logan Circle on August 3.

Trump threatens federal DC after former outdoor employee “big ball” violently beaten

“It’s shameful – crime rates, robbery, murder rates and everything else, we won’t let it go, which includes introducing the National Guard, and maybe soon,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.

Trump also told reporters at the time that he was willing to take over the Washington Metropolitan Police Department because crimes in the country’s capital were “ridiculous.”

In an emergency, it makes sense to make a temporary temporary acquisition of the Metropolitan Police Department, but Trump’s move could be questioned in court in case of an emergency.

Trump has historically opposed violence in Washington and said on Tuesday that the crime was “completely out of control” in the U.S. capital.

Meanwhile, crime in Washington is declining. The Washington Metropolitan Police Department said violent crime rates fell 26% this year compared to the same time period in 2024. Similarly, attacks using dangerous weapons fell by 20% and homicides fell by 12%.

Watch: Trump hints that he will soon bring in the National Guard after the “big ball” attack

Federal government and Border Patrol officers arrested a man in the U Street corridor when deploying federal law enforcement in Washington, D.C. on August 10, 2025. (Andrew Leyden/Getty Image)

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser questioned Trump’s description of the city in an interview with MSNBC on Sunday and expressed concerns about the possibility of activate the National Guard to deal with the city’s crime.

“Any comparison with war-torn countries is hyperbolic and false,” Bowser said.

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“I’m worried they’re not being used effectively, and I just think it’s not the most effective use of our guards,” Bowser said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This is a shocking news story that will be updated.