President Donald Trump is once again threatening to take control of Washington, D.C. — this time floating the idea of federalizing D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department and deploying the National Guard.
His comments come days after a high-profile assault involving a federal adviser with ties to Elon Musk — an incident Trump has seized on as proof the city is in crisis.
Violent crime in D.C. is down 26% from last year, and homicides have also declined. Trump, however, is reviving the same playbook he used during his presidential campaign — one that paints the capital as a crime-ridden death trap, despite police data showing progress.
He’s even suggesting that Congress overturn the 50-year-old Home Rule Act, which gives D.C. residents the right to elect their own mayor and council. Such a move would gut D.C.’s autonomy.
D.C. is the only place where the National Guard answers directly to the president, not the mayor. Trump used that authority in 2020 — and now he’s signaling he could do it again.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
