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The President emphasized that his crackdown goes beyond the nation’s capital. A newly signed memorandum authorizes state governors to deploy their own Guard units to clean up crime at home. “We will bring in the military if it’s needed,” Trump told reporters, leaving little doubt that his administration intends to deliver swift and visible results.
Trump also promised to work with congressional Republicans to end policies he says are enabling crime. He blasted D.C.’s “no cash bail” system and vowed to dismantle legal loopholes that put violent offenders back on the streets.
As part of the takeover, Trump appointed Terry Cole as interim federal commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Department. Cole, he said, will lead the law enforcement effort until the city is back under control.
Flanked by top officials including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, Trump addressed the nation in what he called a historic moment.
“This is Liberation Day in DC, and we’re going to take our capital back,” he announced. “Under the authorities vested in me as the President of the United States, I’m officially invoking section 740, of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act… and placing the DC Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control.”
Trump then laid out grim statistics, saying the murder rate in Washington has surpassed cities notorious for violence. “The murder rate in Washington today is higher than that of Bogota, Colombia, Mexico City… much higher. The number of car thefts has doubled over the past five years, and the number of carjackings has more than tripled. Murders in 2023 reached the highest rate probably ever.”
Painting a dire picture, he accused city leaders of allowing violent gangs, drug addicts, and mobs of lawless youth to terrorize residents. “Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs, and homeless people, and we’re not going to let it happen anymore.”
Trump compared his new D.C. policy to his southern border crackdown, touting what he described as months of zero illegal crossings. He claimed the city’s crime rates have now outpaced global hotspots. “Baghdad… Panama City… Bogota, Colombia… heavy drugs. Mexico City… Lima, Peru—double and triple,” he said, rattling off a list of troubled cities and insisting Washington is worse.
For Trump, the message was clear: federal control is not just about law enforcement—it’s about reclaiming America’s capital from chaos. “You want to be able to leave your apartment or your house… and feel safe,” he told reporters. “And you don’t have that now.”
