'This is an emergency': 5 takeaways after Trump deploys troops in DC, takes over police
Joined by top administration officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the president announced the National Guard will be deployed in the nation's capital and that the local police will be placed under federal control.
"This is an emergency," Trump said. "This is a tragic emergency."
The president laid out a dark portrait of the city throughout an Aug. 11 press conference, describing it as overrun by homeless people, drug addicts and other "bloodthirsty criminals" that his administration will no longer tolerate.
Many residents and activists have long resisted those characterizations as false and racially motivated attacks against the city, which has lobbied for statehood in recent years. Mayor Muriel Bowser, for instance, pushed back at the president's claims of rising crime over the weekend, saying residents "are not experiencing a crime spike."
But Trump and his allies have been keen on spotlighting individual violent crimes against reporters, White House aides and congressional staffers that often seize headlines and startle tourists.
Democrats and other critics pointed out that Washington's homicide rate is down 32% year-to-date, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. They called Trump's move another abuse of his executive authority.
Here are key takeaways from Trump's press conference.
Trump administration taking over DC police
Trump signed two executive orders, the first invoking the 1973 Home Rule Act, which allows the president to assume control of Washington police for 48 hours if they determine "that special conditions of an emergency nature exist..."
Such a takeover can be extended with congressional approval but any request of more than 30 days must be passed into law.
In a separate order, Trump ordered Hegseth to deploy National Guard troops in Washington, which also authorized him to work with governors of other states to utilize their guard as well.
Key officials within the administration are now being tasked with overseeing DC's law enforcement agencies, including Bondi, who will take command of the local Metropolitan Police Department. Drug Enforcement Agency Administrator Terry Cole, who was sworn in last month, will serve as interim federal commissioner of the police department.
White House spotlights DOGE staffer and other crime victims
During the press conference, Trump sprinkled in many individual cases of violent crime that he argued justified his takeover, such as the May 21 fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside a downtown museum.
One at the top of mind was the assault of Edward Coristine, who worked as a staffer with the Department of Government Efficiency. An Aug. 3 police report, obtained by USA TODAY, said officers observed a group of about 10 juveniles surrounding Coristine's car and assaulting him around 3 a.m.
"He was left dripping in blood," Trump said. "He thought he was dead, with a broken nose and concussion. Can't believe that he's alive. He can't believe it."
The president also evoked Phillip Todd, a former aide to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, who was stabbed in 2023. Trump described the attacker, identified by police as Glynn Neal, as a "demented lunatic."
In an August profile by The Washington Post, Todd, a son of Christian missionaries, said that he had forgiven Neal and was rethinking his views on crime and punishment.
Chicago, other cities could see federal oversight, Trump warns
While ticking off individual cases, Trump noted that his Washington takeover might be brought to cities including Chicago; Baltimore; Los Angeles and Oakland, California.
Those Democratic-controlled cities and states, Trump said, have adopted left-leaning policies, such "no cash bail" rules, that he blamed for violent crime.
"This issue directly impacts the functioning of the federal government, and is a threat to America, really," he said. "It's a threat to our country. We have other cities also that are bad, very bad."
Chicago was in the news earlier this summer for a historic drop in crime that Mayor Brandon Johnson, who Trump called out during the press conference, has touted.
"This reduction in hate crimes and of violence generally is a testament to what's possible when we invest in people and community safety in a holistic way," Johnson said in a July 18 statement that credited "strategic, constitutional policing" and "jobs for young people, access to mental health care, and housing people can afford."
Similar trends have occurred in Baltimore, which has seen a 24% decrease in homicides and an 18% decline in nonfatal shootings, according to Mayor Brandon Scott.
In a statement to USA TODAY, the Democratic Mayor's Association said federal intervention isn't needed and argued the president is looking to create a "political charade" to distract voters.
"Let's be clear: Crime is down in most major cities − including Washington, DC − in spite of Donald Trump, not because of him," the group said. "If Trump actually cared about reducing crime, he wouldn't have made unprecedented cuts to public safety programs that actually work."
Congress' takeover of Washington could come next
Trump's crackdown in Washington could be followed by further changes, specifically to its home rule status, which is often a favorite punching bag for congressional Republicans.
Ahead of the president's press conference, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, declared that now is the time for lawmakers to take control of the city.
"We should pass the BOWSER Act in September and return full control of Washington to Congress,' Lee said in an Aug. 11 post on X.
The bill, dubbed 'Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident' was introduced earlier this year, and was named after Bowser as a criticism of crime and alleged corruption in the city.
Lee co-sponsored the measure with Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tennessee, and cited an ongoing scandal involving a Washington police commander who in July was suspended for allegedly changing crime stats. He also noted how in some news reports local residents said they were afraid to speak out about crime.
Trump appeared to allude to the Ogles-Lee proposal to rescind home rule. "We're going to change the statue, and I'm going to have to get the Republicans to vote, because the Democrats are weak on crime," he said.
Democrat point fingers on DC statehood while others focus on Trump
National Democrats took a few swings at Trump's declaration, casting it as a political ploy more than a fight to improve public safety.
"The most violent cities are in Republican states − and there's no takeover happening there," Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, a rumored 2028 presidential contender, said in a post on X. "This is just another attempt to distract from Trump's corruption and suppress dissent."
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a former Democratic vice presidential nominee, described Trump's announcement in stark terms, saying on X: "The road to authoritarianism is littered with people telling you you're overreacting."
But some Democrats said the party failed to protect Washington when it had the chance four years ago when Joe Biden was still president and they ran Congress.
"Trump is going to federalize D.C.," Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California, said in an Aug. 11 post on X.
"Senate Dems could have stopped this when we had power," he added "In 2021, the House voted to make D.C. a state, but a few Senate Dems flinched and genuflected to the filibuster. Now, DC will be under an aspiring dictator's control."
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Washington Post
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Axios
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How Trump is making pot a MAGA issue
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Trump, like Biden, is a teetotaler, and neither has expressed great enthusiasm for legalization over the years, said Jonathan Caulkins, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. "The way to think about it is some people wanted Biden to legalize. Biden didn't want to do that, so he said, 'Well, I'll suggest rescheduling, which will make some people think that we've made a big change, but it isn't really,'" Caulkins said. Friction point: The rescheduling of marijuana means the government would be officially recognizing its medicinal uses. That's difficult when the quality and consistency of the botanical version of the drug isn't like more conventional pharmaceuticals, Caulkins said. The move also would transfer cannabis to the purview of the Food and Drug Administration, which could create headaches for the agency. The FDA would be "between a rock and a hard place," Caulkins said. "They either have to ignore their own rules and regulations and say, we're just going to let the cannabis happen without the usual standards for medicine, or we're going to bite the bullet and crack down on a multibillion-dollar industry that's been operating for years now." The big picture: A rescheduling would be further evidence of the MAGA world's ability to take the reins on issues once associated with the progressive movement. "For the left, it's been much more about sort of social justice and righting the wrongs of the drug war," Sabet said. On the other hand: "You have part of the MAGA wing that has embraced this," he said. "It's about business, it's about money." Yes, but: This is already stirring up some disagreement among Trump's base. "I hope this doesn't happen," Turning Point USA founder and key MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk posted on X. "Everything already smells like weed, which is ridiculous. Let's make it harder to ruin public spaces, not easier." Relaxing marijuana rules also is stirring concern among state GOP lawmakers in states like Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Even administration officials such as FDA commissioner Marty Makary have posted warnings about health risks from cannabis use. Reality check: Trump was vague on the timing of any move when he confirmed the WSJ's reporting on Monday, saying: "We're only looking at that. It's early."
