President Donald Trump said he will ask congressional Republicans to prolong federal authority over Washington DC’s city police force beyond the current 30-day limit, intensifying his effort to assert presidential power over the capital. He added that any congressional action could be used as a model for other U.S. cities.
It remains unclear how Trump’s takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department could be replicated elsewhere.
On Monday, Trump invoked the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allows the president to assume control under emergency conditions for up to 30 days. He also announced the deployment of 800 National Guard troops to the city, a move similar to one in Los Angeles in June when thousands of Guard soldiers and hundreds of U.S. Marines were mobilized in response to unrest over immigration raids.
In recent days, hundreds of federal officers from more than a dozen agencies have been deployed across Washington DC. In one neighborhood, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI were seen with U.S. Park Police searching a parked car. Nearby, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assembled in a parking lot before heading out on patrol.
Trump has argued that these measures are necessary due to rising violent crime and widespread homelessness, although federal and local statistics indicate violent crime has declined since a 2023 spike. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office declined to comment on Trump’s latest remarks. Bowser has pointed to data showing the city’s violent crime rate reached a 30-year low in 2024.
A White House official said more than 1,450 law enforcement officers were on patrol Tuesday night, including 30 National Guard troops and 750 city police officers assigned to an “anti-crime” operation. The official added that a larger Guard presence is expected Wednesday night.
Since August 7, the operation has resulted in 103 arrests, with 43 on Tuesday alone. Charges include one homicide, 33 firearms offenses, and 23 immigration violations, along with 24 seized firearms. In the same period in 2024, the Metropolitan Police Department made 364 arrests, including offenses ranging from murder and assault to traffic and liquor violations. Police records show 20,386 adult arrests in 2024, averaging 56 per day.
City officials said Tuesday they remain in control of the department and have received no new directives from the administration, according to the Washington Post. The Metropolitan Police Department on Wednesday referred all arrest inquiries involving federal agents to the White House.
When asked about Trump’s push for congressional approval, House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office pointed to his Monday social media post: “President Trump is RIGHT. We can’t allow crime to destroy our Nation’s Capital.”
Any legislation to extend Trump’s control over the DC police would likely fail in the Senate, where Democrats could block most bills.
Trump told reporters Wednesday that if Congress does not act, he could declare a “national emergency” to bypass the 30-day limit, though legal experts doubt that authority exists. “There’s nothing about the president extending past 30 days unilaterally,” said Claire Finkelstein, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania. “If the 30 days are up, that’s that.”
