U.S. President Donald Trump orders elevated federal regulation enforcement presence in Washington to ‘make DC secure once more’

The White Home stated on Thursday (August 7, 2025) night time that there shall be elevated presence of federal regulation enforcement within the nation’s capital to fight crime for at the least the subsequent week, amid President Donald Trump’s solutions that his administration might absolutely take over operating the town.

“Washington, DC is a tremendous metropolis, but it surely has been affected by violent crime for a lot too lengthy,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated in an announcement. “President Trump has directed an elevated presence of federal regulation enforcement to guard harmless residents.”

She added that the elevated federal presence means “there shall be no secure harbour for violent criminals in DC.”

Mr. Trump has repeatedly instructed that the rule of Washington may very well be returned to federal authorities. Doing so would require a repeal of the House Rule Act of 1973 in Congress, a step Trump stated attorneys are inspecting — however might face steep pushback.

“We have now a capital that is very unsafe,” Mr. Trump instructed reporters on the White Home this week. “We have now to run DC.”

The White Home stated the elevated regulation enforcement would “make DC secure once more” and could be current on the streets beginning at midnight — led by U.S. Park Police following an 11 p.m. Thursday (August 7, 2025) roll name at a longtime command centre.

The push will final the subsequent seven days with the choice to increase “as wanted,” underneath the authority of Mr. Trump’s earlier government order establishing the Making DC Protected and Lovely Process Drive. The added federal officers shall be recognized, in marked items and extremely seen, the White Home stated.

Collaborating regulation enforcement embrace personnel from the US Capitol Police, Homeland Safety Investigations, the Federal Protecting Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Enforcement and Removing Operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the US Marshals Service and the US Legal professional’s Workplace for the District of Columbia.

The police forces for Amtrak and the town’s Metro rail service are additionally concerned.

Mr. Trump has lengthy instructed crime and violence is on the rise in Washington, and has these days begun to criticise issues like litter and graffiti. However the catalyst for the order to extend police presence was the assault final weekend on a high-profile member of the Division of Authorities Effectivity by a gaggle of youngsters in an tried carjacking.

The sufferer, Edward Coristine, nicknamed “Massive Balls,” was among the many most seen figures of DOGE, which was tasked with reducing jobs and slashing the federal forms. Police arrested two 15-year-olds and say they’re nonetheless on the lookout for different members of the group.

“If DC would not get its act collectively, and rapidly, we can have no alternative however to take Federal management of the town, and run this metropolis the way it needs to be run, and put criminals on discover that they are not going to get away with it anymore,” Trump posted on Reality Social earlier this week.

The President subsequently stated he was contemplating repealing Washington’s restricted House Rule autonomy or “bringing within the Nationwide Guard, possibly in a short time.”

Thursday’s (August 7,. 2025) announcement comes as Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser’s authorities can declare to have decreased the variety of homicides and carjackings — each of which spiked citywide in 2023.

Carjackings in Washington general dropped considerably the next yr in 2024, from 957 to only underneath 500, and the quantity is on observe to say no once more this yr — with lower than 200 recorded so excess of midway by means of 2025.