Dems rage against Trump's DC takeover

The Hill

3 days ago

PRESIDENT TRUMP took extraordinary measures Monday to implement a federal crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C., while warning other cities run by Democrats that the government stands ready to expand its enforcement efforts across the nation.
At a nearly two-hour press conference from the White House, Trump declared a 'public safety emergency' in the nation's capital and a cited a rarely used law that allows him to temporarily take control of the District's police department.
In addition, Trump is deploying the National Guard to assist local and federal law enforcement with patrols.
'I'm announcing historic action to rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, squalor and worse,' Trump said. 'This is liberation day in D.C. and we're going to take our capital back.'
Trump has been moving in this direction for several days, citing a recent attack on a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee, who was severely beaten during an attempted carjacking last week.
The FBI had been assisting in police patrols since that incident, although Trump's moves on Monday escalate federal involvement and represent a direct challenge to the District's self-governance.
'Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty, criminal, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people,' Trump said. 'We're not going to let it happen anymore.'
Democrats are furious and accusing the president of overreach.
'This is dictator-level stuff,' Democrats on the House Oversight Committee posted on X. 'Deploying the military on DC's streets only creates fear and chaos. Donald Trump will be held accountable for this brazen power grab.'
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-K.Y.) plans to hold a hearing with Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) and D.C.'s Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D) in September to discuss Monday's actions.
In a Monday press conference, Bowser called Trump's actions 'unsettling and unprecedented.'
'I'm going to work every day to make sure it's not a complete disaster. Let me put it that way,' she told reporters.
Schwalb called the move 'unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful.'
'There is no crime emergency in the District of Columbia,' he posted on X. 'Violent crime in DC reached historic 30-year lows last year, and is down another 26% so far this year. We are considering all of our options and will do what is necessary to protect the rights and safety of District residents.'
D.C. City Council Member Charles Allen (D) called it 'an extreme, outrageous, and dangerous move for our city and the safety of all our residents.'
'National Guard soldiers are trained for warfare & natural disasters, not for community policing. Every American should be deeply concerned with what they're witnessing today,' Allen posted on X.
The district's police union chairman Gregg Pemberton backed Trump's move.
'We stand with the President in recognizing that Washington, DC, cannot continue on this trajectory,' he said in a statement. 'Crime is out of control, and our officers are stretched beyond their limits. The federal intervention is a critical stopgap, but the MPD needs proper staffing and support to thrive. This can only happen by repealing the disastrous policies that have driven out our best officers and hindered recruitment.'
In tomorrow's edition of The Movement, 'President Trump's effort to lessen crime in Washington, D.C. and launch a 'beautification' effort is clashing with a long tradition of Republicans criticizing and outright writing off the nation's cities.' Click here to sign up & get it in your inbox.