U.S. President Donald Trump has once again raised the possibility of taking federal control of Washington, D.C., suggesting that the city’s local leadership is failing to maintain law and order—even as official data shows violent crime has actually declined.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump said he is “considering” federalizing control of the U.S. capital and possibly deploying the National Guard. “We want to have a great, safe capital — and we’re going to have it,” he said. “The rate of crime, the rate of muggings, killings and everything else — we’re not going to let it [continue].”
Trump’s latest comments come amid a broader campaign to assert greater federal control over cities, particularly those led by Democratic administrations. His rhetoric appears to clash with data from Washington’s police department, which reported a 26% drop in violent crime in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year. Federal figures from the Justice Department also show that the city’s 2024 crime levels were among the lowest in three decades.
Despite the statistics, Trump insists a takeover might be necessary. On Tuesday, he wrote on his social media platform, “If DC 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.”
Legal and Political Pushback
Under a long-standing governance model, Washington, D.C. is managed by a locally elected government, including a mayor, while Congress retains oversight powers. Any change to this arrangement—such as placing the city under federal control—would require congressional legislation.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, the city’s non-voting congressional delegate, swiftly responded to Trump’s remarks. “Presidents have no authority to unilaterally take control of DC. Congress would have to pass a law, and I won’t let the current effort get that far,” she said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Trump has often criticized Democratic-led cities and threatened military action to curb what he calls “lawlessness.” Just weeks ago, he sent California’s military reserve force into Los Angeles to quell immigration-related protests, defying objections from state and local authorities.
While Trump continues to portray D.C. as unsafe, local officials and national crime data suggest otherwise—making his latest comments more politically symbolic than policy-driven.
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