Washington (AP)The mayor of Washington expressed concerns about the possible deployment of the National Guard to patrol the streets of the nation’s capital after President Donald Trump pledged additional measures to address homelessness and crime in the city.
In a social media post, Trump said that he would host a White House press conference on Monday to outline his intentions to transform the District of Columbia into a more beautiful and safe place than it has ever been.
Trump wrote on Sunday that those who are homeless must leave immediately. We will provide lodging for you, although it will be far from the capital. You don’t have to leave, Criminals. You will be placed in the appropriate jail.
The Republican president gave federal law enforcement agencies instructions to bolster their presence in Washington for a period of seven days last week, with the possibility of an extension if necessary.
More than 120 officers and agents from federal agencies, including the FBI, the Secret Service, and the U.S. Marshals Service, were deployed to Washington on Friday night to provide assistance.
Following the recent assault of a prominent member of the Department of Government Efficiency, Trump claimed last week that he was thinking about methods for the federal government to take over Washington, claiming that crime was absurd and the city was dangerous.
Trump claimed that one of the actions he was thinking about was deploying the D.C. National Guard.
Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser said the federal government might be far more helpful by financing more prosecutors or filling the 15 vacancies on the D.C. Superior Court, some of which have been open for years. Bowser also questioned the efficacy of employing the Guard to police city laws.
Bowser can ask the Pentagon to activate the National Guard, but she is unable to do so herself.
She acknowledged that the president has the last say on how to employ the Guard, saying on Sunday on MSNBC’s The Weekend, “I just think that’s not the most efficient use of our Guard.”
Since Trump began posting about crime in Washington last week, Bowser was speaking in public for the first time. She pointed out that after increasing in 2023, violent crime in Washington had subsequently declined. Trump portrayed the district as one of the world’s most dangerous cities in his weekend posts.
Bowser believes that any analogy to a nation ravaged by conflict is exaggerated and untrue.
According to police records, there have been fewer homicides, robberies, and burglaries this year than there were at this time in 2024. When compared to this time last year, violent crime has decreased by 26% overall.
In his Truth Social posts over the weekend, Trump provided no information about potential new measures to reduce the levels of crime he claims are dangerous for workers, visitors, and people alike. The White House refused to provide any information regarding the statement on Monday.
When asked what Trump would do next, neither the mayor’s office nor the police department responded.
The attack on Edward Coristine, one of the most well-known representatives of the DOGE bureaucracy-cutting initiative, appears to have triggered the president’s criticism of the region, which he described as being full with tents, poverty, filth, and crime. In connection with the attempted carjacking, police detained two 15-year-olds and stated they were searching for others.
Trump stated on Wednesday that this must be the nation’s best-run facility, not its worst.
Bowser has been given numerous opportunities, but he described her as a good person who has tried.
Trump has frequently implied that federal authorities may regain control of Washington. To accomplish this, Congress would need to abolish the Home Rule Act of 1973, a move Trump claimed attorneys are considering. It might encounter strong opposition.
Bowser admitted that the law gives the president additional authority over the city’s police, but only under specific circumstances.
According to her, our city does not now have any of those conditions. Crime is not on the rise in our area. Actually, we’re seeing a decline in crime.
