‘Unsettling, unprecedented’: Washington DC Mayor Bowser hits back at Trump’s federal takeover of police

Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has described US President Donald Trump’s move to take control of the city’s police force and deploy the National Guard as “unsettling” and “unprecedented.” Trump announced on Monday that he would federalise the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and send 800 National Guard troops to the streets, invoking emergency powers under the District of Columbia’s Home Rule Act. “This is liberation day in DC and we’re going to take our capital back,” Trump declared.

Crime has fallen sharply, says Bowser

Bowser defended the city’s progress on crime, noting that violent offences had fallen 35% in 2024 and a further 26% in the first seven months of 2025. “Crime isn’t just down from 2023. It’s also down from 2019 before the pandemic. And we’re at a 30-year violent crime low. We’re not satisfied. We haven’t taken our foot off the gas,” she said. While she acknowledged a spike in violence post-COVID, Bowser said the city had acted quickly to target offenders and equip police with more resources.

‘Unprecedented’ federal move under Home Rule powers

The Home Rule Charter gives the president authority to assume control of the MPD in emergencies for up to 30 days, though Bowser stressed that Police Chief Pamela Smith and her 3,100 officers remain under the chief’s direction. Bowser said she only learned of the request for MPD’s services after the fact, believing the announcement would focus on the National Guard. She also said all law enforcement officers operating in the city should be identifiable by uniforms or badges. She has reached out to Attorney General Pam Bondi for a meeting and vowed city services will continue, including the start of the school year on 25 August.

Trump cites public safety emergency

The president claimed the capital was “overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals,” citing the recent assault on a staff member as evidence of a wider safety crisis. He described the action as “historic” and said it would “rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor, and worse.” Trump also warned that “Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR.” Drug Enforcement Agency Administrator Terry Cole has been named as the MPD’s new leader during the federal control period. Trump also said the military could be deployed if necessary.

National Guard to hit the streets within days

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the National Guard would be “flowing into the streets of Washington” in the coming week and could be reinforced with specialised units. “They will be strong, they will be tough and they will stand with their law enforcement partners,” Hegseth said. Trump’s decision marks the first time section 740 of the Home Rule Act has been invoked. The last large-scale deployment of the DC National Guard under his leadership came during protests in his first term, and more recently in June when nearly 5,000 guardsmen were sent to Los Angeles to respond to unrest.