The Latest: Mayor Bowser calls Trump takeover of DC police ‘unsettling'

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2 days ago

The Latest: Mayor Bowser calls Trump takeover of DC police 'unsettling'
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser held a press conference Monday following President Donald Trump's announcement that he's taking over Washington's police department and activating 800 members of the National Guard in the hopes of reducing crime and tackling homelessness in the city.
The president exaggerated or misstated many of the facts surrounding public safety in D.C., where the crime rate has fallen in recent years.
Trump's plan prompted the District of Columbia's mayor to voice concerns about the potential use of the National Guard to patrol the streets.
'While this action today is unsettling and unprecedented, I can't say that given some of the rhetoric of the past, that we're totally surprised,' Bowser said.
Here's the latest:
US and China extend trade truce another 90 days
Trump has extended a trade truce with China for another 90 days, at least delaying once again a dangerous showdown between the world's two biggest economies.
The previous deadline was set to expire at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. Had that happened, the U.S. would have ratcheted up taxes on Chinese imports from an already high 30%, and Beijing would have responded by raising retaliatory levies on U.S. exports to China.
The pause buys time for the two countries to work out some of their differences, perhaps clearing the way for a summit later this year between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
▶ Read more about the tariff suspension extension
Trial starts over National Guard deployment to Los Angeles
A federal judge is hearing arguments on whether military troops deployed this summer by the Trump administration to Los Angeles violated a federal law that bars troops from conducting law enforcement duties within the country.
Judge Charles Breyer will decide whether the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act was violated when 4,700 California National Guard members and Marines were sent following protests over immigration raids.
A deputy commanding general testified Monday that military forces called in were allowed to take some law enforcement actions despite the federal law that prohibits the president from using the military as a domestic police force.
The administration has argued that federal military members are allowed to protect federal property and agents as part of their mission carrying out federal operations.
▶ Read more about the trial that could set the precedent for how Trump can deploy the guard in the future
Trump's big bill is powering his mass deportations. Congress is starting to ask questions
The Republican Party's big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts that Trump signed into law July 4 included what's arguably the biggest boost of funds yet to the Department of Homeland Security — nearly $170 billion, almost double its annual budget.
The staggering sum is powering the nation's sweeping new Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, delivering gripping scenes of people being pulled off city streets and from job sites across the nation — the cornerstone of Trump's promise for the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.
The crush of new money is setting off alarms in Congress and beyond, raising questions from lawmakers in both major political parties who are expected to provide oversight.
The bill text provided general funding categories — almost $30 billion for ICE officers, $45 billion for detention facilities, $10 billion for the office of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem — but few policy details or directives. Homeland Security recently announced $50,000 ICE hiring bonuses.
▶ Read more about the funding behind Trump's mass deportation agenda
Trump's moves toward taking over Washington are unprecedented. Here's what the law says
D.C.'s historically majority Black population wasn't electing its own city council and mayor until 1973, when Republican President Richard Nixon signed the Home Rule Act.
The measure still left significant power to the president and Congress, though no president has exercised the police powers before.
Section 740 of the Home Rule Act allows for the president to take over Washington's Metropolitan Police Department for 48 hours, with possible extensions to 30 days, during times of emergencies. No president has done so before, said Monica Hopkins, executive director of the ACLU of Washington.
It wasn't immediately clear how long the takeover might last or exactly what it might mean. It could also face challenges in court.
The law is specific to D.C. and doesn't affect other communities around the U.S. referred to as having their own 'home rule' powers in relationship to their state governments.
Trump nominates jobs report critic to lead Bureau of Labor Statistics
The president posted on social media that he has picked E.J. Antoni, an economist at conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation to lead the agency in charge of the monthly jobs report, the consumer price index and other indicators.
Trump dismissed the previous commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, after the July jobs report contained dramatic downward revisions of 258,000 jobs combined in June and May, suggesting a weaker economy than what the president had claimed.
The president has said the jobs report is rigged, and Antoni has frequently criticized the report, putting him outside of mainstream economists.
'E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE,' Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump's tax law will mostly benefit the rich, while leaving poorer Americans with less, CBO says
Trump'stax and spending law will result in less income for the poorest Americans while sending money to the richest, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported Monday.
The CBO estimates that the 10% of poorest Americans will lose roughly $1,200 a year as they experience restrictions on government programs like Medicaid and food assistance, while the richest 10% of Americans will see their income increase by $13,600 from tax cuts.
Overall, American households will see more income from the tax cuts in the legislation, including middle income households, but the largest benefit will go to the top 10% of earners.
Roughly 2.4 million people won't be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program under new work requirements for many recipients, the CBO found. Low-income Americans could also see their income reduced through further restrictions on food aid and other types of assistance included in the law.
How the National Guard deployment in DC will work
According to the Army, Guard troops will be deployed under Title 32, or 'federal-state status' authority. That means the troops can conduct law enforcement activities on the streets of the nation's capital — though, at the moment, that doesn't appear to be the plan.
'Their duties will include an array of tasks from administrative, logistics and physical presence in support of law enforcement,' according to a statement from the Army, to which the District of Columbia National Guard directed all questions.
About 500 federal law enforcement officers are being assigned to patrols in Washington, including from the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and the Marshals Service.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that Guard members will be 'flowing into the streets of Washington in the coming week.'
The timeline for the troop deployment is vaguely defined. According to Trump's directive, National Guard troops will remain deployed until the president determines 'that conditions of law and order have been restored.'
▶ Read more about how Trump has deployed the National Guard to cities during his second term
Trump wants his Cabinet to work with Intel CEO he had wanted fired
Trump retreated from his calls for chipmaker Intel to dismiss its CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, after meeting with him on Monday.
The president on social media called the meeting 'very interesting' and said Tan's 'success and rise is an amazing story.'
Trump said Tan would meet with members of his Cabinet and bring suggestions to him next week on how to proceed.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also attended the Monday meeting.
Bowser works to avoid fight with Trump but can't disguise some anger
The D.C. mayor fielded multiple questions Monday designed to get her to say something harsh about Trump. But she didn't take the bait for the most part, calmly laying out the city's case that crime has been dropping steadily and Trump's perceived state of emergency simply doesn't match the numbers.
She repeatedly acknowledged that Trump has 'broad authority' under the law and would be difficult to challenge.
The composure slipped a bit toward the end, when she dropped a reference to Trump's 'so-called emergency.'
Trump could extend takeover of DC police for 30 days, then he needs congressional approval
Trump is invoking Section 740 of the DC Home Rule Act to take over control of the city's police department, saying in a letter to a congressional committee that the police force is needed for federal purposes.
The Republican president says in the letter sent to the House Oversight Committee Monday that he is taking the action for the purpose of 'maintaining law and order in the nation's seat of government; protecting federal buildings, national monuments, and other federal property; and ensuring conditions necessary for the orderly functioning of the federal government.'
By invoking the law, Trump is able to take over the police for more than 48 hours, but if he wants to continue for more than 30 days, both the House and Senate would need to give him a vote of approval.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries denounces Trump police takeover plan as 'illegitimate'
Jeffries, the top House Democrat, said the administration 'has consistently broken the law and violated the Constitution to further the personal and political agenda of a wannabe king.'
Jeffries denounced other Republicans as 'cowardly.'
His statement did not mention any immediate actions congressional Democrats would take in response to Trump's plan.
'The Republican Party has zero credibility on the issue of law and order,' Jeffries said. 'Donald Trump doesn't care about public safety. On his first day in office, he pardoned hundreds of violent felons—many of whom brazenly assaulted law enforcement officers on January 6. We stand with the residents of the District of Columbia and reject this unjustified power grab as illegitimate.'
DC mayor says she was unaware of Trump's plan to take over city police
The mayor said she had 'one brief call' with the White House over the weekend about activating the National Guard, so she thought Trump's announcement would be about calling up the National Guard, not about taking over the Metropolitan Police Department.
GOP lawmaker raises concern over the White House-Nvidia deal
Rep. John Moolenaar, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on China, spoke against the Trump administration's deal to get a 15% cut in the sales of advanced U.S. chips to China in exchange of export licenses.
'Export controls are a frontline defense in protecting our national security, and we should not set a precedent that incentivizes the government to grant licenses to sell China technology that will enhance its AI capabilities,' the Republican from Michigan said.
Trump confirmed the deal but suggested the chips to be sold to China are 'essentially old.' U.S. companies are still banned from selling their most advanced chips to China, which are critical in developing artificial intelligence.
Bowser calls Trump takeover of DC police 'unsettling'
D.C.'s mayor said Monday that the city had reached a 30-year low in violent crime. Bowser said crime was down not just from a post-pandemic peak in 2023, but from 2019 levels prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bowser highlighted the district's parks, schools and public transportation and said it was important for residents and visitors to know 'just how beautiful our city is and how proud we are of all that we've accomplished here.
Bowser's comments are a response to Trump's announcement of his takeover of D.C. police force. Bowser said the steps were 'unsettling."
'My message to residents is this: We know that access to our democracy is tenuous. That is why you have heard me and many Washingtonians before me advocate for full statehood," Bowser said.
DC police union backs Trump's takeover
The union representing D.C. police officers is backing Trump's takeover move, though it called for the federal intervention to be temporary.
Chairman Gregg Pemberton said the union agrees with the president that 'immediately action is necessary' to tamp down crime.
Still, Pemberton said the city ultimately needs a police department that's 'fully staffed and supported.'
He also called for the repeal of criminal justice policies and laws passed by the City Council.
Maryland governor says Trump mobilizing National Guard in Washington 'lacks seriousness'
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard in D.C. is also 'deeply dangerous.'
Moore, a Democrat who served as a paratrooper and captain in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, said in a statement that the president's actions lack both data and a battle plan.
'He is simply using honorable men and women as pawns to distract us from his policies, which continue to drive up unemployment and strip away health care and food assistance from those who need it most,' Moore said.
He urged the president to look to Maryland for ways of reducing violent crime. Moore noted that homicides in Maryland are down by more than 20% since Moore's inauguration in January 2023.
'We await outreach from the White House if they want to have a serious conversation about public safety. But we won't hold our breath,' he said.
Appeals court rules Trump administration must restore website tracking spending
A federal appeals court has given the Trump administration until Friday to restore a website that tracks spending appropriated by Congress.
In a Saturday ruling, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit refused to block a lower court order requiring the restoration. The court said disclosing the spending information was a 'permissible exercise of legislative authority' with roots in the nation's founding. An email to the Office of Management and Budget on Monday was not immediately returned.
The database at issue in the case first went up in July 2022. The Trump administration pulled it down in March. It argued publicly disclosing spending decisions intrudes on executive power. The administration has faced numerous lawsuits over decisions to freeze spending authorized by Congress.
The Rev. Al Sharpton blasts Trump's DC police takeover as 'an assault' on Black cities
Trump's announcement that he would deploy National Guard troop to take over the city's police department, the Rev. Al Sharpton warned of the move's potential long-term repercussions.
'Donald Trump was inspired to take this disgusting, dangerous, and derogatory action solely out of self interest,' the civil rights leader said in a statement. 'Let's call the inspiration for this assault on a majority Black city for what it is: another bid to distract his angry, frustrated base over his administration's handling of the Epstein files.'
Sharpton said D.C.'s leadership must push back on the president's use of the city and its residents as 'political props.'
'We cannot, nor will we, take this lying down,' he said. 'Threatening to hit if people spit, calling all Black and low-income neighborhoods slums, and throwing away the humanity of homeless people by equating them to criminals is the beginning of the end if we don't stand up. This is the ultimate affront to justice and civil rights many of us have dedicated our lives to protecting and expanding.'
Top DC prosecutor calls police takeover 'unlawful'
The top prosecutor in the nation's capital is calling Trump's move to take over the city's police department 'unnecessary and unlawful.'
District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb says crime is not an emergency levels. After a spike in 2023, violent crime hit its lowest level in decades last year and has continued to sink in 2025, he said.
The federal takeover could face a challenge in court, and Schwalb said his office is 'considering all of our options.'
Trump goofs on location and date of Putin summit during briefing
Trump said a couple of times during the press briefing that he would be traveling to Russia to meet with Vladimir Putin — but their summit is taking place in Alaska.
'I'm going to Russia on Friday,' he said in one instance.
He also made an erroneous reference at another time to the summit being next week instead.
Trump jokes about the crowded media briefing room
The president began the briefing Monday by commenting on the large crowd of journalists gathered for the news conference. He said he'd never seen the media briefing room as crowded as it was. Later during the briefing, he joked they may be violating fire codes.
'I've done this for years now, hard to believe,' he said. 'I've never seen this room so packed. In fact, I'm sure it's a violation of every fire code.'
Trump said that in his meeting with Putin, he'll review that country's 'parameters' to end war
'Now I may leave and say, 'Good luck,' and that'll be the end,' Trump said.
Trump on the upcoming meeting with Putin: 'I think it'll be good, but it might be bad'
Trump says he can see a scenario where the U.S. and Russia normalize trade relations if things go well at his meeting with Putin later this week.
'I do, yeah,' he responded when asked about whether he could see the potential ahead of the Alaska meeting.
He said 'Russia has a very valuable piece of land' and mused about what would happen if 'Putin would go toward business instead of war.'
As for the prospect of progress at that meeting? Trump said: 'I think it'll be good, but it might be bad.'
Trump says 'we'll see what happens' with China as tariff truce deadline looms
That came during a news conference after Trump was asked whether he plans to extend his 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs on China.
The U.S.-China trade truce ends Aug. 12, and if it isn't extended, rates on Chinese goods could climb back to over 80%.
'They've been dealing quite nicely,' Trump said, adding that he has a good relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump calls his upcoming sit-down with Putin 'really a feel-out meeting'
The president said he was open to meeting with Putin first and then meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or meeting with both together — though he didn't say he'd push for a three-person meeting.
Trump said 'President Putin invited me to get involved' and even said he thought it was very respectful that Putin is coming to U.S. territory for the meeting in Alaska, instead of insisting that Trump go to Russia.
He said he'll tell Putin that it's time to end Russia's war with Ukraine.
Trump says he's 'looking at' reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug
'We're looking at reclassification,' Trump said, adding, 'It's early.'
He said he planned to make a determination in the coming weeks.
The president said marijuana 'does bad for the children,' but that easing penalties associated with it is a 'very complicated subject' because some people support doing so.
Trump said he'd 'heard great things having to do with medical' use of marijuana.
A potential move to remove marijuana from the list of Schedule I controlled substances to a Schedule III drug would make it significantly easier to buy and sell cannabis.
The president says other cities could be subject to the same efforts
Trump said he hopes other cities, including Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, are watching the steps he's announced in D.C. and would take steps to 'self-clean up.'
He said that if needed, the administration would take similar steps in other cities and criticized their leadership at the local and state levels.
Trump says he's bringing in 800 National Guard members to assist with law enforcement in DC
In addition, Trump also said 'we will bring in the military if it's needed' but added, 'I don't think we'll need it.'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth compared sending the Guard into the nation's capital to deployments to the southern U.S. border and Los Angeles.
'We will work alongside all D.C. police and federal law enforcement,' Hegseth said.
Hegseth said the D.C. National Guard will be 'flowing into the streets of Washington in the coming week.'
He also said the Pentagon was 'prepared to bring in other National Guard units, other specialized units.'
Trump says he signed documents to give himself authority to crack down on crime in Washington
The president said he signed an executive order and presidential memorandum in the Oval Office before holding his news conference.
One executive order invoked presidential powers under the Home Rule Act to take over Washington's police force.
He also signed what the administration called statutorily required notification letters to DC Mayor Bowser and relevant congressional leaders.
Trump also signed a presidential memorandum directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to deploy the National Guard in the nation's capital.
The Associated Press