Trump orders federal takeover of DC police, National Guard deployment

President Donald Trump announced a federal takeover of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department and the deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops, asserting that the District faces an urgent public safety crisis and that federal action is necessary to restore order. The move centers on invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, a rarely used power that places the city’s police under federal control for up to 30 days, with a 48-hour window for initial action and congressional oversight required for extensions. In a White House briefing, Trump framed the action as a historic rescue of the capital, declaring “Liberation Day in D.C.” and vowing to take back the city from crime, homelessness and disorder.

Officials in Washington immediately questioned the scope and necessity of the step. Mayor Muriel Bowser described the move as unsettling and unprecedented, while noting that the city possesses limited autonomy and that local agencies would coordinate with federal authorities. The District’s council condemned the move as a “manufactured intrusion on local authority” and warned that federal control without clear justification could undermine local...