President Donald Trump has declared a “criminal emergency” in Washington, DC, deploying 800 National Guard troops and placing local police under federal control for 30 days, with possible extensions despite expected Democratic pushback.
Officials report 23 recent arrests and the removal of 70 homeless camps, though city leaders note violent crime is at a 30-year low. Critics call the move a political maneuver, worsening tensions between Trump and Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Trump is the first president to invoke Section 740 to assume control over DC’s police, reflecting his hardline law enforcement stance, though no new plans address homelessness or the root causes of crime.
