Trump’s Takeover of D.C.: It’s No Longer Just Talk
The Gist: | Trump has declared a “public safety emergency” in Washington, D.C., deployed up to 800 National Guard troops, and placed the city’s police force under federal control. He’s ordered federal law enforcement agencies into coordinated night patrols and demanded the “immediate relocation” of homeless residents. The data — for now — and the law tell a different story. And if the data doesn’t fit his narrative? History suggests he’ll just fire someone until it does.
What Just Happened
“Liberation Day in D.C.”: Trump used the phrase to announce what he called a historic effort to reclaim the capital from “crime, bloodshed, and squalor.”
Federalization executed: Invoking Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act, Trump placed the Metropolitan Police Department under Justice Department control, with Attorney General Pam Bondi overseeing operations.
National Guard on the streets: Up to 800 troops joined over 120 FBI agents, along with ATF, DEA, U.S. Park Police, U.S. Marshals, Secret Service, DHS, and others on coordinated night patrols.
Homeless individuals targeted for removal: Without offering a destination or support plan, Trump ordered homeless people moved “far away” from the capital. In practice, this could mean that if you’re homeless in D.C., you can be moved out of sight like unsightly garbage — not because you’re being helped, but because you’re in the way.
Trump’s Narrative vs. the Facts
Trump’s talking points at the podium included:
Claiming D.C.’s murder rate is higher than Bogota or Mexico City.
Saying car thefts have doubled in five years and carjackings have tripled.
Citing recent high-profile crimes:
A former Trump administration official murdered in a carjacking near the White House.
A Democrat congressman carjacked at gunpoint.
An aide to Senator Rand Paul stabbed.
A three-year-old shot and killed in a car.
A congressional intern killed by a stray bullet.
The reality:
Violent crime is down 26%, homicides down 12%, robberies down 29% compared to last year — the lowest in three decades.
Experts say his claims rely on selective incidents and outdated figures, ignoring recent downward trends.
Federalizing the police and overriding Home Rule still requires Congressional involvement; legal scholars call his justification “flimsy” and ripe for court challenges.
Federal authority over homeless removals is limited to federal land — moving people from city streets without due process will invite legal battles.
The Unanswered Questions
Trump has made it clear the homeless will be moved “far away.” But where is he planning on moving them?
And how is he planning on moving them?
Until those questions are answered, this looks less like a solution and more like forced disappearance.
Why This Matters
This isn’t just about policing—it’s about power. In Cut the Lifeline, Then Blame the Drowning, I wrote about how federal “interventions” often dismantle local systems without building anything lasting in their place. The result? It’s easier to push people out of sight, and harder for them to come back.
Bottom Line
The federal takeover of D.C. has already happened. The National Guard is deployed, local police are under federal control, and the city’s homeless population is being told to vanish without explanation. The legal authority for this is shaky at best, the crime stats undermine the justification, and local leaders are pushing back. Until those two questions — where and how — are answered, this is political theater with real human costs.
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