Can Trump federalize D.C.? Here's what to know
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on July 21. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Trump on Tuesday again threatened to take federal control of Washington, D.C., following the alleged early-morning attempted carjacking and beating of a former DOGE staffer.
The big picture: The president has long lamented what he sees as the "horribly run" capital and expressed his desires to seize control over a "FILTHY AND CRIME RIDDEN EMBARRASSMENT TO OUR NATION." But nixing D.C. home rule is not something he could do via executive power.
- That's not to say there aren't other things the president and allied lawmakers can do to squeeze the Democratic-run city.
Driving the news: Trump posted Tuesday that if D.C. does not quickly "get its act together ... we will have no choice" but to federalize the city, after the incident involving the man whom multiple outlets have identified as Edward Coristine, famously nicknamed "Big Balls."
- The president also called for teens as young as 14 to be prosecuted as adults, claiming "[l]ocal 'youths' and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens."
- Two teens, a 15-year-old boy and girl, were arrested and charged with unarmed carjacking, per the Metropolitan Police Department. Authorities are seeking multiple other suspects.
- Elon Musk, the former face of DOGE whose relationship with Trump publicly exploded, echoed the call to federalize D.C.
State of play: After a post-pandemic crime spike, violent crime trends declined in the city in 2024.
- Total violent crime was down 35% in 2024 compared to the prior year. However, juvenile crime remains a concern.
Reality check: Trump may say that "[i]f this continues, I am going to exert my powers, and FEDERALIZE this City," but it can't be done with the flourish of a pen.
How would Trump federalize D.C.?
To take over D.C., Congress would have to overturn the Home Rule Act of 1973, which was signed into law by former President Richard Nixon after the District's residents pushed for more control.
- Before Congress granted D.C. home rule, Axios' Cuneyt Dil previously reported, the president appointed the city's mayor and Congress and unelected commissioners oversaw the districts laws and local affairs.
- Now, district residents elect their mayor, councilmembers and Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners, per the ACLU of D.C. The local government can pass and enforce local laws and the district's budget — but the federal government can still "micromanage" money and local laws.
- Congress holds the final say on the city's laws, meaning D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has had to walk a fine line amid an era of GOP control.
Yes, but: Repealing home rule would be a challenging feat, given the hurdle of the filibuster.
- In February, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) introduced legislation to do so.
What other ways could Trump and lawmakers squeeze D.C.?
Trump, under the Home Rule Act, can temporarily take over District police.
- "[W]henever the President of the United States determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist" that require him to use the force, "he may direct the Mayor to provide him, and the Mayor shall provide such services," the Act reads.
- During the protests of the summer of 2020, Trump considered taking over MPD, but ultimately did not after pushback from District officials.
Zoom out: The D.C. National Guard is also under the president's command.
- And in March, Trump signed an executive order to set up a "D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force" directed at cracking down on crime and maximizing immigration enforcement in D.C.
And abolishing home rule is far from the only method Congress has to involve itself in the District.
- One such way, the Washington Post notes, is through "budget riders" attached to spending bills.
- Under the act, "the Congress of the United States reserves the right, at any time, to exercise its constitutional authority as legislature for the District."
- Trump could lean on his Republican majority to squeeze city spending and adjust laws, Axios' Cuneyt Dil notes.
Go deeper: One way D.C. can protect itself from Trump: Rejoin Maryland
