Latest news with #federalization
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump likens DC to ‘worst places on Earth' as military takes over capital: ‘Wild youth, maniacs and homeless'
President Donald Trump on Monday invoked a never-before-used authority to seize control of the Washington, D.C. police department and hand it over to the control of his attorney general as he simultaneously ordered the National Guard to begin patrolling the streets. Casting the unprecedented move as needed to 'rescue' the city from 'crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse,' Trump announced his federalization of the nation's capital from the White House press briefing room just months after the Justice Department issued a press release touting the city's declining crime rate. Flanked by a group of cabinet members and law enforcement officials as he stood before reporters, Trump declared it was, 'Liberation Day in DC' as he said he was invoking a section of the decades-old 'home rule' charter for Washington that allows the president to demand the services of the Metropolitan Police Department to deal with 'special conditions of an emergency.' 'Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people, and we're not going to let it happen anymore,' Trump said as he compared the situation in Washington to the country's southern border. He claimed his administration's actions to federalize and militarize law enforcement in the capital could produce a situation similar to the standstill in the border region, where in his rendering of events 'nobody comes' on account of his crackdown on irregular migration from South and Central America into the U.S. Trump said the unprecedented escalation and undermining of the elected Washington, D.C. government is necessary because of what he described — inaccurately — as record crime levels akin to some of the world's most violent cities — even as the American capital has seen declines in murder and other violent crime for the past two years. The previously unused section of the 1973 D.C. Home Rule Act Trump invoked in an executive order allows the president to use the Washington police department for federal purposes for a 30-day period. It was intended for use during periods of civil unrest like the riots that gripped the city and left parts of it burnt out and in ruins after the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but in practice there is no constraint on the president's ability to make use of the law so long as he 'determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the Metropolitan Police force for federal purposes.' Although Washington's murder rate hit levels not seen since the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s just two years ago, the period since has seen a steep decline under the leadership of Chief Pamela Smith, who was named to her role in 2023 after two years leading the U.S. Park Police. Statistics made public by the DC government and the Department of Justice show other violent crimes having declined during the same period. But Trump told reporters he was moved to take over the department in part by an assault on a young former Department of Government Efficiency staffer last week, who he said was 'savagely beaten by a band of roving thugs after defending a young woman from an attempted carjacking' and 'left dripping in blood' with a broken nose and concussion. That ex-DOGE staffer under Elon Musk, Edward Coristine, 19, is better known by his nickname 'Big Balls.' He also noted that a House of Representatives intern had been killed by a stray bullet two months ago, and recalled how a former official from his first term, Mike Gill, had been 'murdered last year in cold blood in a carjacking, blocks away from the White House.' 'It's becoming a situation of complete and total lawlessness,' Trump said, adding for good measure that his administration would be 'getting rid of the slums' where he described criminals as living and cracking down on 'caravans of mass youth' who 'rampage through city streets at all times of the day' on various small motor vehicles. The president placed blame for what he called a 'dire public safety crisis' on 'the abject failures of the city's local leadership,' including the city's elected city council's decision to abolish cash bail as part of efforts to reduce racial inequities in the wake of the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer. '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. Totally weak on crime,' he said. Another Trump appointee, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, complained that D.C. law makes it too hard for her to prosecute young offenders because it only allows the U.S. Attorney's office to handle a small set of violent crimes by youth while leaving most juvenile prosecutions to the city's elected attorney general, who prosecutes those cases in family court. 'I see too much violent crime being committed by young punks who think that they can get together in gangs and cruise and beat the hell out of you or anyone else. They don't care where they are. They can be in Dupont Circle, but they know that we can't touch them. Why? Because the laws are weak,' Pirro said. 'I can't arrest them, I can't prosecute them. They go to family court and they get to do yoga and arts and crafts.' Trump's proclamation declares a 'crime emergency' in the nation's capital and cites 'rising violence' that 'urgently endangers public servants, citizens, and tourists' and 'disrupts safe and secure transportation and the proper functioning of the Federal Government' while delegating control of the D.C. police to Attorney General Pam Bondi, who in turn has delegated that responsibility to Drug Enforcement Agency Administrator Terry Cole. While the president claimed the department has 'a lot of good people,' he also suggested that it was simultaneously rife with 'people that shouldn't be there' who 'got in there because of woke,' alluding to the presence of women and racial minorities in the department's ranks. 'They got in there because of woke but you have a lot of great police, and those people are the ones that want to help you,' he said. Trump added that during the period of federal control — which by law is not supposed to exceed 30 days — there would be 'full, seamless, integrated cooperation at all levels of law enforcement' and deployments 'across the district with an overwhelming presence.' 'You'll have more police, and you'll be so happy because you'll be safe when you walk down the street. You're going to see police, or you're going to see FBI agents. Going to have a lot of agents on the street. You're going to have a lot of essentially military, and we will bring in the military if it's needed,' he said. At a press conference hours later, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called Trump's move 'unsettling and unprecedented' and said she was unsurprised by the decision given his rhetoric towards the city over the years. But Bowser also indicated that she and the city council lack grounds on which they would be able to contest Trump's 30-day takeover of the local police department and suggested that more law enforcement on D.C. streets could be a good thing. 'We follow the law ... the MPD follows the law as well, as well as all of the federal officials who are here,' she said. 'The fact that we have more law enforcement presence in neighborhoods, that may be positive.' Solve the daily Crossword
Fox News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
DC police chief ripped for 'mind blowing' response to basic policing question: 'Yikes'
Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith is facing backlash and mockery on social media after she appeared to not understand a question from the media about the department's "chain of command" amid President Donald Trump's recent federalization of the department. "Can you tell us what the chain of command is now?" a reporter was heard asking Smith during a press conference Tuesday morning. "What does that mean?" the police chief responded. "Well, is it Pam Bondi speaking to the mayor? Is it you? How does this work?" the reporter continued, before Bowser stepped in to explain the department's chain of command following Trump invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act Monday, which allows the president to assume emergency control of the capital's police force. The exchange came amid Bowser's brief press conference Tuesday morning following her meeting with Attorney General Pam Bondi. "Our organizational chart, how we do business, how we fund the police, none of that has changed," Bowser explained, adding that Bondi is working as Trump's "proxy" under the federalization order and that the pair are in close communication. "We have more police, and we want to make sure we use them," she added. The exchange of Smith appearing to not understand the reporter's question on the department's "chain of command" sparked mockery and backlash online Tuesday afternoon. "This is who is in charge of the police in D.C..." popular conservative X account Libs of TikTok posted of the exchange. "This is why DEI is a disease," National Co-Chair of the RNC Youth Advisory Council CJ Pearson posted to X in response to the exchange. Smith previously served as the department's first chief equity officer, where she "led the department's efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion," according to her biography. "WTF! The DC Police Chief doesn't even know what Chain of Command means," another conservative X account posted in response. "Smith previously served as the Police Department's "Chief Equity Officer,'" the Trump War Room account posted to X. "MIND BLOWING: D.C. police chief reveals she DOES NOT KNOW what chain of command is. Folks, this is the Washington, D.C. POLICE Chief," another critic posted. "NEW: Washington DC Police Chief Pamela A. Smith doesn't know what the 'chain of command' means. … Yikes," Trending Politics co-owner Collin Rugg posted. Fox Digital reached out to the Metropolitan Police Department and Bowser's office for comment on the exchange and subsequent backlash, but did not immediately receive replies. Trump federalized the D.C. police department following a spate of high-profile attacks and killings in the city in recent weeks, including the fatal shooting of a congressional intern in June, the fatal shooting of a pair of Israeli embassy staffers in May, and a brutal attack on a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer earlier in August. "Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people," he said. "And we're not going to let it happen anymore. We're not going to take it." Trump declared it was "Liberation Day in D.C.," adding, "We're going to take our capital back." "We're taking it back under the authority vested in me as the president of the United States. I'm officially invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. You know what that is. And placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control. … In addition, I'm deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, D.C. And they're going to be allowed to do their job properly," he said Monday.
Fox News
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
AG Pam Bondi meets with DC mayor as Trump dispatches National Guard troops in capital
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and the city's police chief traveled to Justice Department headquarters on Tuesday to meet with Attorney General Pam Bondi and other senior administration officials to discuss the temporary National Guard takeover in the nation's capital. The meeting came hours after President Donald Trump announced plans Monday to temporarily federalize law enforcement in the nation's capital, both through deploying hundreds of D.C. National Guard troops, and taking control in the near-term of the city's local police force. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Bowser said the sit-down was focused on coordination and strategy with the federal government. "What I'm focused on is the federal surge and how to make the most of the additional officer support that we have," Bowser said. "We have the best in the business with [Metropolitan Police Chief] Pamela Smith to lead that effort, and to make sure that the men and women who are coming from federal law enforcement are being well-used, and that if there's National Guard here they're being well-used." The meeting with Bondi and other senior Trump officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Marshals Service Director Gady Serralta, came after Trump on Monday announced plans to use a 1973 D.C. Home Rule Act provision to send National Guard troops to D.C., as part of an effort to "reestablish law order and public safety" and temporarily federalize the city. D.C. officials, for their part, also urged calm on Tuesday, with Chief Smith stressing to reporters that they regularly work alongside federal law enforcement officials. "I think this is going to be a good effort," she said Tuesday. "It's going to be an effort that's supported by both teams, the Metropolitan Police Department, as well as our federal partners," she said. "What we've done at this point is we have provided the team – the administrator – with a strategic plan on how we will provide resources around our city," she said. "I think it's something that is doable. We know that we have to get illegal guns off of our streets, and if we have this influx or enhanced presence, it's going to make our city even better." The effort was separately praised by Bondi, who described the sit-down with Bowser on social media as "productive." "We agreed that there is nothing more important than keeping residents and tourists in Washington, D.C., safe from deadly crime," Bondi said on Tuesday. "At President Trump's direction, @TheJusticeDept will work closely with D.C. city government and [the] @DCPoliceDept to make Washington, D.C. safe again." Trump has long vowed to "clean up" D.C., a goal he has stressed since his first term in office. Trump in March signed an executive order, "Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force," designed to address issues with a city he has long derided as "filthy," "horribly run" and "crime-ridden," among other things. "We want to have a great, safe capital," he told reporters earlier this year. "And we're going to have it. And that includes cleanliness and it includes other things." Bowser stressed at a press conference Monday that crime rates have fallen in the city, pointing to preliminary figures compiled by the D.C. Police Department and released earlier this year. Since then, "We haven't taken our foot off the gas," Bowser said Monday. She said D.C. is continuing its efforts to fight violent crime, even without the authorities of a full state. "I can't say that given some of the rhetoric of the past, that we're totally surprised" by the Trump administration's efforts, Bowser said during the press conference Monday. "I can say to D.C. residents that we will continue to operate our government in a way that makes you proud." Meanwhile, the DC Police Union also said Monday that it supported the administration taking over the police force, but stressed they backed the move only so long as it is a "temporary measure."
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
DC attorney general: Trump actions ‘unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful'
Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D) denounced the Trump administration's move to federalize the city's police force as 'unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful.' Schwalb said Monday in a post on social platform X, after President Trump's announcement in the morning, a 'crime emergency' doesn't exist in the District, noting that violent crime reached a 30-year low last year and is currently 26 percent lower this year than at this same point last year. 'We are considering all of our options and will do what is necessary to protect the rights and safety of District residents,' he said. Trump claimed during his announcement that the federal government is taking control of the local police because the city has been 'overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people.' The Home Rule Act, which grants the city a certain number of self-governing powers, allows the president to federalize the D.C. police for up to 30 days. Trump must provide Congress with written notification of his rationale for taking control of the police within 48 hours, and congressional approval would be needed to extend the president's control of the police beyond the 30 days. Trump's decision comes after a former employee of the Department of Government Efficiency was attacked during a carjacking in D.C. earlier this month. But data shows that violent crime dropped 35 percent from 2023 to 2024. The numbers in most categories of crime listed on the Metropolitan Police Department's website are also lower for 2025 than at this time in 2024. Democrats have been quick to condemn Trump's action as a power grab, a distraction and a violation of D.C.'s sovereignty. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) called it 'political theater' that ignores the progress that D.C. has made in reducing crime. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Trump has 'no basis' to take over the police department and 'no credibility' on the issue of law and order. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
DC's liberal residents slam Trump for 'overstepping' with takeover of their city... but admit crime is rampant as troops prepare to flood streets
Despite being up in arms after President Donald Trump 'overstepped' and federalized the local police on Monday, Washington, DC residents admit that crime is a problem. They just don't think Trump's takeover is the solution. The president announced Monday that Washington's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will now be under the control of Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice (DOJ). In addition, 800 National Guard troops will be deployed in the district to, in Trump's words, 'rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse.' The forces are expected to appear in town this week and work on shifts to defend the capital around the clock. In over half a dozen interviews with DC locals, most expressed skepticism over the White House 's new initiative while simultaneously telling the Daily Mail that additional resources could help crack down on crime. 'I think it might be an overreaction,' Carson, a young man in his early twenties who just moved to DC, told the Daily Mail. 'I don't think you need like FBI agents to stop violent crime around.' 'Their presence is good if the DC police need assistance ... but I don't think they need to really take over,' another resident said of the troop deployments. 'I've been robbed and everything, but that doesn't mean that we need the National Guard.' While many criticized Trump's move as an overreach, some grudgingly shared that there are challenges facing the city. Jacqueline Turner, a great-grandmother, told the Daily Mail that young people are 'getting kind of outrageous' and sided with Trump on parents being held accountable for their naughty children's bad behavior. 'The young people figure they can do what they want and they're not going to be punished. And that's not right ... Maybe their parents ought to be persecuted, or ... penalized if they can't control their children and raise them decently,' the great-grandmother told the Daily Mail. Mobs of kids in their teens have frequently shown up in popular shopping and dining areas around DC, including the neighborhoods around Navy Yard, the Wharf and downtown, according to local reports. Still, Jacqueline called Trump's move to bring in the National Guard 'ridiculous.' 'He wants to take control of DC,' John, another resident, said. 'Crime has been down as far as I know.' MPD statistics do show that violent crime is down year over year, but many locals still fret over high-profile incidents, like the recent fatal shooting of a congressional intern, a tragedy the president has spoken about. 'Of course, you're going to take precautionary measures,' John added. 'You're going to make sure that you're vigilant about where you're walking.' Recently, a high-profile former DOGE employee nicknamed 'Big Balls' was mugged in DC while out on the town. The assailants severely beat the ex-DOGE aide leaving him bloodied, according to reports. Trump said he was lucky to be alive, but it didn't move residents to support Trump's action. 'He's using that as this catalyst to militarize DC, which is insanity to me,' Tim, a DC resident of 15 years, told the Daily Mail. He called Trump's decision to federalize MPD and deploy the National Guard an 'insane overreach.' 'It's completely unnecessary. It's on something that is completely baseless,' Tim added. Others understood the president's perspective. 'He's doing what he feels like he needs to do, but I don't think he's in DC enough to actually know exactly what's going on in our city,' Daniel shared. 'Have I heard gunshots? Yes,' he continued. 'Have I seen someone like get assaulted? No. Have I seen people get in fights? Yes. Do I feel safe here? 100 percent sure.' But another man named, Rey, offered: 'It's never bad to send more enforcement to help a city that's in need.' It's not much of a surprise Trump's policing initiative fell flat with Washington residents. He won just 5 percent of the vote in the District of Columbia in 2024.
