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Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Deal reached after US capital sues Trump over police takeover
The Justice Department reached an agreement on Friday with Washington authorities over control of the capital's police department after President Donald Trump placed it under federal authority to tackle violent crime. The deal was hammered out at a federal court hearing after the District's attorney general sued the Trump administration over what he called a 'hostile takeover' of the city's police force. Trump placed Washington's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal control on Monday and ordered 800 National Guard troops onto the streets of the capital. Attorney General Pam Bondi then appointed Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief Terry Cole as 'emergency' police commissioner. But at Friday's hearing, Judge Ana Reyes urged both sides to reach a compromise. They agreed that Cole would not directly command the MPD but would issue directives through the mayor's office. 'Mr. Cole is not going to be able to direct police department individuals to do anything,' Reyes said. 'He's going to have to go through the mayor.' District Attorney General Brian Schwalb welcomed the outcome, saying it confirmed that the MPD remained under the authority of the chief appointed by the mayor. 'We don't need a hostile takeover from the federal government to do what we do every day,' he told reporters. Unlike the 50 states, Washington operates under a unique relationship with the federal government that limits its autonomy and grants Congress extraordinary control over local matters. Since the mid-1970s, the Home Rule Act has allowed residents to elect a mayor and a city council, although Congress still oversees the city's budget. Republican critics frequently accuse Washington of being crime-ridden, mismanaged and plagued by homelessness. But police data show violent crime dropped significantly between 2023 and 2024, following a post-pandemic surge. Mayor Muriel Bowser said this week that violent crime is at its lowest level in 30 years. Trump has also pledged to clear homeless encampments, saying those sleeping in public should be moved 'far from the capital.' On his Truth Social platform, he described the city as 'under siege from thugs and killers,' with higher crime rates than 'many of the most violent Third World countries.'
New York Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Live Updates: Trump Orders National Guard to Washington and Takeover of Capital's Police
Skip to contentSkip to site index President Trump significantly escalated his efforts to exert federal authority over the nation's capital on Monday, saying that he was temporarily taking control of the city's police department and deploying 800 National Guard troops to fight crime there. At a White House news conference, the president painted a dystopian picture of Washington — including 'bloodthirsty criminals' and 'roving mobs of wild youth' — that stood in sharp contrast to official figures showing violent crime in the city is at a 30-year low. Mr. Trump said Attorney General Pam Bondi would oversee the federal takeover of the capital's Metropolitan Police Department and, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at his side, added that he was prepared to send the military into Washington 'if needed.' A White House official said the takeover was intended to last for 30 days. Local officials immediately criticized the president's actions. Brian Schwalb, the attorney general of D.C., called them 'unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful,' and said his office 'will do what's necessary to protect the rights and safety of District residents.' Mr. Trump also threatened to expand his efforts to other cities, including Chicago, if they did not deal with crime rates he claimed were 'out of control.' But Mr. Trump's authority to intervene elsewhere would be more limited: His announcement on Monday invoked a section of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act that grants him the power to temporarily seize control of the city's police department. Here's what else to know: D.C. deployment: Unlike a state's governor, the District of Columbia does not have control over its National Guard, giving the president broad leeway to deploy those troops. The Trump administration also plans to temporarily reassign 120 F.B.I. agents in Washington to nighttime patrol duties as part of the crackdown, according to people familiar with the matter. Read more › Dystopian claims: Mr. Trump's most recent threats to take control of Washington came after a prominent member of the Department of Government Efficiency, his federal cost-cutting initiative, reported being beaten in an attempted carjacking. But on Monday he sought to lay out an even darker version of the city, overrun by violent crime and anarchy, that many who live in it are unlikely to recognize. Familiar targets: In decrying crime as out of control in cities across the country, he listed familiar targets like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago but did not mention cities in Republican-led states with the highest murder rates: Memphis, St. Louis or New Orleans. He also ignored the most violent episode in Washington's recent history: the Jan. 6, 2021, riot as the Capitol, where his supporters sought to stop the certification of the 2020 election he lost. Mr. Trump pardoned hundreds of rioters, many of whom had already been convicted of crimes and were serving sentences before being immediately released in January. Other deployments: This summer, Mr. Trump deployed nearly 5,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles with orders to help quell protests that had erupted over immigration raids and to protect the federal agents conducting them. All but about 250 of those National Guard troops have since been withdrawn. And in his first term, Mr. Trump called up National Guard soldiers and federal law enforcement personnel to forcibly clear peaceful protests during the Black Lives Matter protests after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. The Capitol in Washington. Credit... Eric Lee for The New York Times Like several District of Columbia residents interviewed Monday morning, Sarah Struble, 37, who lives in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, said she feels relatively safe, though the high-profile incidents of violence like those mentioned by President Trump during his news conference can be unnerving. Crime is 'not something that is impacting me personally in my life every day,' said Ms. Struble. She said she likes that law enforcement officers don't walk streets with military-style firearms like in some foreign countries, and she said she doesn't support the president's moves to take over Washington's police and deploy the National Guard. 'I'm not a particularly pro-police, pro-law enforcement kind of person,' she said. 'I would much rather resources go towards, you know, community support and services and things like that, things that our taxes support and things run by the community rather than bringing in the National Guard.' Shanta Rigsby, 43, said crime has remained steady for the past five years in the Navy Yard neighborhood where she lives, with a noticeable rise after the pandemic. She said Mr. Trump should focus on addressing the root causes of crime before sending in the National Guard. 'It's unfortunate that the new administration has to take this reactionary approach,' said Ms. Rigsby, 'instead of local government really focusing on bringing down crime and making residents feel safe.' Jerry Stenquist, 42, a federal employee who works in Navy Yard, said that some crime is inevitable with big events like baseball games for the Washington Nationals at the stadium in the neighborhood. 'It's a nice area,' Mr. Stenquist said of the Navy Yard, 'but I think anytime you have a broad range of the public that's going to show up at the stadium, you're going to have some crime.' 1,584 violent crimes in 2025 so far 1,584 violent crimes in 2025 so far Aug. 11, 2025, 12:40 p.m. ET Katie Rogers Reporting from the White House A White House official confirms that the federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department is intended to last for 30 days. Aug. 11, 2025, 12:18 p.m. ET Campbell Robertson Reporting from Washington In a statement, Brian Schwalb, the elected attorney general of the District of Columbia, called the administration's actions to take control of policing the city 'unprecedented, unnecessary and unlawful.' He added, 'We are considering all of our options and will do what's necessary to protect the rights and safety of District residents.' Aug. 11, 2025, 12:16 p.m. ET Outside the White House, a group called Free DC is holding a rally to protest President Trump's plans to take federal control of the police department. Video Credit Credit... Brent McDonald/The New York Times Aug. 11, 2025, 11:57 a.m. ET Katie Rogers Reporting from the White House The president ends his news conference, ignoring shouted questions about the Epstein case and which Washington neighborhoods might see the National Guard on their streets. Aug. 11, 2025, 11:48 a.m. ET Katie Rogers Reporting from the White House Over one hour in, and this news conference has meandered from the federal takeover of Washington police to Trump's meeting this week with President Vladimir Putin of Russia; the future of the Russia-Ukraine war; tariffs against China; the proposed White House ballroom; and talk about the president's experience in real estate. All the while, members of the president's cabinet continue standing behind him. Trump, perhaps acknowledging their unease, just tried to redirect reporters back to questions about Washington. But after a single question, Trump is now talking about his meeting with Putin again. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times Aug. 11, 2025, 11:47 a.m. ET Campbell Robertson Reporting from Washington Charles Allen, a member of the District of Columbia Council who represents Capitol Hill, said that the president's declaration of a public safety emergency was not grounded in reality given that violent crime in the city was at a 30-year low. 'He's doing this because he can,' Allen said. He said that district leaders had 'tons of questions.' including whether the police chief, Pamela Smith, was, in fact, still the police chief. 'We literally don't know the answer right now,' Allen said, adding that as of last night the district's police command staff 'did not have any indication that this is the step they were going to take.' Aug. 11, 2025, 11:34 a.m. ET Michael Gold Congressional correspondent Representative James R. Comer of Kentucky, the Republican chairman of the House committee that has jurisdiction over affairs in Washington, D.C., praised the president's announcement. 'President Trump is rightly using executive power to take bold and necessary action to crack down on crime and restore law and order in Washington, D.C.,' he said in a statement. Aug. 11, 2025, 11:32 a.m. ET Shawn McCreesh White House reporter President Trump's framing here is that Washington will be a kind of guinea pig; he's using it as a test lab to prove that Republicans can clean up and run cities better than Democrats, and that the changes to come will set an example for blue cities across America. Aug. 11, 2025, 11:31 a.m. ET Zolan Kanno-Youngs White House reporter As President Trump paints a hellish portrait of the District of Columbia, it's worth remembering that the president actually does not get out of the White House and into the city much. In his first term, Trump spent a lot of time at the Trump International Hotel in the city, but with that hotel now closed, Trump usually stays in the White House. Aug. 11, 2025, 11:27 a.m. ET Shawn McCreesh White House reporter 'If our capital is dirty, our whole country is dirty,' President Trump says dramatically, speaking to reporters in the White House briefing room. Aug. 11, 2025, 11:23 a.m. ET Campbell Robertson Reporting from Washington Washington's criminal justice system is already under substantial federal control. While the prosecutions of juveniles are handled by the locally elected attorney general, the prosecutions of adults accused of serious crimes are handled by the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro. Aug. 11, 2025, 11:20 a.m. ET Shawn McCreesh White House reporter The man speaking just now was Will Scharf, a White House aide best known for being the man who stands behind the Resolute Desk and hands the president black booklets containing executive orders to be signed. Aug. 11, 2025, 11:19 a.m. ET Katie Rogers Reporting from the White House Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., says she wants to 'change the law' to bring charges against criminal defendants in their early teens. The president praised her performance in front of the cameras as she stepped away from the lectern. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times Aug. 11, 2025, 11:17 a.m. ET Zolan Kanno-Youngs White House reporter President Trump says his administration has begun to remove homeless people from encampments in parks in Washington. The president has not outlined where he plans on moving those people. The city has struggled in recent years with a shelter system pushed to capacity. Aug. 11, 2025, 11:16 a.m. ET Shawn McCreesh White House reporter President Trump's preference for hiring people he sees on Fox News has never seemed starker than right now, as he stands between Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., two former talking heads. Aug. 11, 2025, 11:12 a.m. ET Katie Rogers Reporting from the White House During this news conference, President Trump has said more about the ballroom he wants to build in the White House than about how homeless people will be supported if they are moved out of Washington. Aug. 11, 2025, 11:09 a.m. ET Katie Rogers Reporting from the White House President Trump says 800 National Guard troops will be stationed in Washington and says he will add more if necessary. Aug. 11, 2025, 11:08 a.m. ET Chris Cameron Reporting from Washington It's important to note how President Trump's remarks have been aimed at rewriting history and the reality of crime in Washington. Others have noted that crime in the city is down. Soon after he took office, Trump pardoned hundreds of rioters, some of them violent, who ransacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Many had already been convicted of their crimes and were serving their sentences before being immediately released in January. In the summer of 2020, Trump deployed more than 5,000 National Guard troops to Washington to crack down on mostly peaceful protesters advocating for racial justice. That deployment was widely seen as a debacle. Aug. 11, 2025, 11:06 a.m. ET Katie Rogers Reporting from the White House Attorney General Pam Bondi takes the lectern and talks about the families who visit the capital, taking advantage of the free museums, the National Zoo, and other attractions. The tourist activity she is touting is in conflict with the dystopian image she and others are painting of the city. Aug. 11, 2025, 11:05 a.m. ET Campbell Robertson Reporting from Washington President Trump announced that Washington would no longer be 'a sanctuary' for undocumented immigrants. In her latest budget, Mayor Muriel Bowser had tried to repeal the district's six-year-old 'sanctuary city' law, which limited local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, but Washington's city council removed that provision. Aug. 11, 2025, 11:02 a.m. ET Katie Rogers Reporting from the White House Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says members of the Washington, D.C., National Guard will be 'flowing' into the capital over the coming week. He did not say how many. Aug. 11, 2025, 10:59 a.m. ET Zolan Kanno-Youngs White House reporter President Trump says he is prepared to send the military into Washington 'if needed.' © 2025 The New York Times Company Manage Privacy Preferences
Wall Street Journal
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Linda McMahon: The Public Face of Trump's Fight Against ‘Woke' Education
WASHINGTON—Education Secretary Linda McMahon is presiding over a MAGA paradox. Sporting a red 'Make Education Great Again' baseball cap, McMahon this week cracked jokes with staff at the department's Washington headquarters and spoke about their work to 'return education to the states.' Just moments later, she turned the meeting over to her deputies, who proudly ticked off the ways the department is wielding unprecedented federal authority to pressure Democratic-led states to change their education policies.
