President Donald Trump has directed an “increased presence” of federal law enforcement officials in Washington, D.C., beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday, the White House announced.
The office of Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser declined comment when contacted by Newsweek.
Why It Matters
Trump has repeatedly suggested that authority over Washington could be returned to federal authorities and threatened to federalize the city in recent days while citing a high rate of violent crime.
Giving the federal government control of Washington would require Congress to repeal the Home Rule Act of 1973, a step Trump said lawyers are examining but could inspire significant pushback.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
What To Know
A weekend attack on a former employee of the Department of Government Efficiency has shined a light on street violence in the nation’s capital.
Edward Coristine, nicknamed “Big Balls,” was attacked in the city’s Logan Circle neighborhood by a group of teenagers during an attempted carjacking around 3 a.m. Sunday. Two 15-year-olds were arrested as they attempted to flee the scene, police said.
A picture of a bloodied, shirtless Coristine sitting on a street after the attack was shared on Truth Social by Trump, who posted that crime was “out of control.”
“Crime in Washington, D.C., is totally out of control. Local ‘youths’ and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released. They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now!” he said.
“If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore. Perhaps it should have been done a long time ago,” the president added.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that Trump had “directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens.”
“Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C. President Trump is committed to making our Nation’s capital safer for its residents, lawmakers, and visitors from all around the world,” she said.
The White House said federal law enforcement officers will be in the city for a period of at least seven days, with “the option to extend as needed.”
The patrol will be led by the U.S. Park Police and include members of what the White House called the “D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force,” which Trump established in a March 28 executive order.
That task force includes officials from the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Marshals Service, the Department of Transportation, the Department of the Interior and more.
Despite the move by Trump, according to Washington Metropolitan Police data, violent crime is down 26 percent this year, compared with the same period last year.
This includes a 12 percent dip in homicides, a 28 percent decrease in robbery and a 20 percent drop in assault with dangerous weapons. Carjackings are down 37 percent this year, according to the police data.
NBC Washington cited statistics showing that about 1 percent more juveniles have been arrested in the capital through June this year compared with 2024’s first six months.
What People Are Saying
Jeanine Pirro U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, targeted youth crime on Thursday, telling reporters: “We’re seeing far too much crime being committed by young people – 14, 15, 16, 17 years old – that I can’t get my hands on. … I don’t know if you’ve seen some of these pictures. But young people are coddled, and they don’t need to be coddled anymore. They need to be held accountable. … They need to understand that enough is enough.”
What Happens Next
Washington residents and police will likely take a stance on Trump’s mobilization of federal law enforcement officials in the coming days.
Feds will be patrolling the streets of D.C. for at least the next week, though the administration may extend the timeline.
The Associated Press contributed reporting to this article.
