U.S capital on high alert: Why is Donald Trump deploying troops on a war footing in Washington, DC?
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
FAQs
U.S President Donald Trump has ordered federal law enforcers onto streets of Washington DC . With President Donald Trump calling for a federal takeover of the nation's capital city, the White House says there will be an increased presence of federal law enforcement on the streets of Washington , D.C., for at least the next week. 'We have to run D.C.,' Trump told reporters.But doing so would require a repeal of the Home Rule Act of 1973 in Congress and could face steep pushback. This was prompted by the attempted carjacking of a DOGE employee nicknamed 'Big Balls' by a group of teenagers. Carjackings and homicides are actually down sharply in D.C. after spiking in 2023. A two-hour tour of the D.C. streets, starting around 1 a.m. Friday morning, revealed no evidence of the sort of multiagency flood of uniformed personnel described in Trump's announcement.Trump has repeatedly suggested that the rule of Washington could be returned to federal authorities. Doing so would require a repeal of the Home Rule Act of 1973 in Congress, a step Trump said lawyers are examining — but could face steep pushback.'We have a capital that's very unsafe,' Trump told reporters at the White House this week. 'We have to run D.C.'The White House said the increased law enforcement would 'make D.C. safe again' and would be present on the streets starting at midnight — led by U.S. Park Police following an 11 p.m. Thursday roll call at an established command center.The push will last the next seven days with the option to extend 'as needed," under the authority of Trump's previous executive order establishing the Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force. The added federal officials will be identified, in marked units and highly visible, the White House said.Participating law enforcement include personnel from the U.S. Capitol Police, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Protective Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.The police forces for Amtrak and the city's Metro rail service are also involved.Trump has long suggested crime and violence is on the rise in Washington, and has lately begun to criticize things like litter and graffiti. But the catalyst for the order to increase police presence was the assault last weekend on a high-profile member of the Department of Government Efficiency by a group of teenagers in an attempted carjacking.The victim, Edward Coristine, nicknamed 'Big Balls,' was among the most visible figures of DOGE, which was tasked with cutting jobs and slashing the federal bureaucracy. Police arrested two 15-year-olds and say they're still looking for other members of the group.'If D.C. doesn't get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they're not going to get away with it anymore,' Trump posted on Truth Social earlier this week.The president subsequently said he was considering repealing Washington's limited Home Rule autonomy or 'bringing in the National Guard, maybe very quickly.'Thursday's announcement comes as Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser's government can claim to have reduced the number of homicides and carjackings — both of which spiked citywide in 2023.Carjackings in Washington overall dropped significantly the following year in 2024, from 957 to just under 500, and the number is on track to decline again this year — with less than 200 recorded so far more than halfway through 2025.A1. President of USA is Donald Trump.A2. Capital of USA is Washington, D.C.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
10 minutes ago
- Time of India
Is US Increasing Aid to Pakistan? State Department repsonds to after Asim Munir's nuclear threat
After Pakistani Chief of Defense Asim Munir's recent nuclear threat, questions have arisen about increased US assistance to Pakistan. During a State Department briefing, officials emphasised the strong but balanced US relationships with both Pakistan and India. They highlighted ongoing counterterrorism talks with Pakistan and stressed President Trump's efforts to maintain dialogue and prevent regional conflict, aiming for cooperation that benefits South Asia's future stability. Show more Show less
The Hindu
10 minutes ago
- The Hindu
PM Modi likely to visit U.S. for UNGA session next month
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the annual high-level session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, according to a provisional list of speakers issued by the United Nations. The 80th session of the UNGA will open on September 9. The high-level General Debate will run from September 23-29, with Brazil as the traditional first speaker of the session, followed by the U.S. U.S. President Donald Trump will address world leaders from the iconic UNGA podium on September 23, his first address to the United Nations session in his second term in the White House. According to the provisional list of speakers for the high-level debate of the 80th session of the General Assembly, India's 'Head of Government (HG)' will address the session on the morning of September 26. The Heads of Government of Israel, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are also scheduled to address the UNGA general debate on the same day. PM Modi had travelled to the U.S. in February this year for a bilateral meeting with Mr. Trump in the White House in Washington, D.C. In a joint statement issued after their meeting, PM Modi and Mr. Trump had announced plans to negotiate the first tranche of a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by the fall of 2025. Even as trade negotiations were ongoing, Mr. Trump imposed tariffs totalling 50% on India, including 25% for New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil that will come into effect from August 27. Responding to the tariffs, India's Ministry of External Affairs has said that the targeting of the country is unjustified and unreasonable. 'Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,' it said. Last week's announcement of Mr. Trump's executive order imposing the additional 25% tariff came at a time when a team from the U.S. is scheduled to visit India from August 25 for the sixth round of negotiations for the proposed bilateral trade agreement. The two countries are aiming to conclude the first phase of the pact by fall (October-November) this year. The UNGA list of speakers for the General Debate is provisional, and there is a possibility of changes in schedules and speakers over the next few weeks. The list will continue to be updated accordingly. Considered the 'busiest diplomatic season' of the year at the United Nations Headquarters, the high-level session opens in September annually. The session this year comes amid the continued Israel-Hamas war as well as the Ukraine conflict. Mr. Trump has said that in the six months of his second presidential term, he has solved several wars, including a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Cambodia and Thailand, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Serbia and Kosovo. Mr. Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for stopping the May conflict between India and Pakistan.
Mint
10 minutes ago
- Mint
National Guard in Washington: TV host Rachel Maddow rips into Trump, says ‘it's not crime, he enjoys using force'
American TV host Rachel Maddow ripped into United States President Donald Trump hours after he deployed National Guard into Washington DC reportedly to curb the rate of crime, saying it is not about that but 'authoritarian takeover' of the country. Rachel Maddow said Donald Trump 'enjoys' using the US military against American citizens. Speaking on The Rachel Maddow Show on Tuesday, August 12, night, the TV host said, 'Let's be generous here. Maybe it's not really just a generic tough-on-crime thing. Maybe it's specifically because it's DC, which is the seat of the U.S. federal government. Maybe [Trump's] just really sensitive about protecting the federal government.' Rachel Maddow said the deployment of the National Guard may not be him being 'tough on crime', 'maybe he enjoys it.' 'Maybe it's what you can see with your own two eyes. Maybe it's that he really enjoys using US military force against American civilians on American soil and wants any excuse to do it anywhere he can. Watch what they do, not what they say,' she said. The American TV host pointed out that Donald Trump has remained silent on shooting at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, where an armed gunman opened fire inside the federal building. She alleged that Trump was using the military to cull protests against him and face the American citizens. Terming the deployment of the National Guard in Washington DC as 'authoritarian takeover', Rachel Maddow said, 'We clearly are now in the part of the attempted authoritarian takeover where our authoritarian leader just starts trying to turn our own military to face us, the people of this country.' Donald Trump said Monday, August 11, he's taking over Washington's police department and activating 800 members of the National Guard in the hopes of reducing crime. The National Guard deployment in Washington DC was enforced even as the national capital officials stressed that crime was already going down. Trump, flanked by his attorney general, his defense secretary and the FBI director, said he was declaring a public safety emergency and his administration would be removing homeless encampments. 'We're going to take our capital back,' Trump declared, adding he'd also be 'getting rid of the slums.'
