Trump ups rhetoric on D.C. crime and homelessness amid federal crackdown
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
President Donald Trump at the White House Aug. 8. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Trump upped his rhetoric about disarray in D.C. over the weekend while federal law enforcement officers spread across the city under a week-long crime crackdown.
Why it matters: The president has hinted more action is coming for the District — he plans to host a press conference Monday at 10am with a lofty goal: "ending the Crime, Murder, and Death in our Nation's Capital," per a post on Truth Social.
- He'll also address cleanliness and "General Physical Renovation" of D.C.
The big picture: Trump's view that crime in the nation's capital is "totally out of control" comes as crime is declining in the city.
- Nonviolent arrests are up under Trump's "D.C. Safe and Beautiful" executive order, which launched a federal task force in March.
Driving the news: Trump ordered homeless individuals to "move out" of the city in a Sunday Truth Social post, vowing to "make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before."
- He promised individuals "places to stay," but "FAR from the Capital."
- Trump added that "[c]riminals" would be jailed — where he said they "belong" — and that it all will happen "very fast."
State of play: The FBI is deploying approximately 120 agents across the city in overnight shifts to assist D.C. police in combating crimes such as carjackings, according to The Washington Post.
- The Secret Service and the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division have also been instructed to begin patrols.
- The Trump administration hasn't coordinated with D.C. police on how best to deploy these federal officers across the city, reports the Post.
Meanwhile, around 450 federal law enforcement officers from departments including the Amtrak Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of the Interior were deployed Saturday and Sunday nights across the city, according to Fox 5 and the White House.
- Officers made multiple arrests Saturday night, including for larceny, carrying pistols without a license, and a "final order of removal" of an undocumented immigrant, per the White House. They also confiscated drugs like fentanyl, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine.
- Officers also made several arrests on Friday and claimed multiple guns, per Fox 5.
What they're saying: "In just a few nights, President Trump's bold actions to Make D.C. Safe Again have already removed dangerous weapons and illegal drugs from D.C. streets — and that's not even taking into account the countless potential crimes that were deterred thanks to a large, visible law enforcement presence," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson tells Axios in a statement.
Mayor Muriel Bowser, appearing on MSNBC's "The Weekend" Sunday, emphasized the decline in violent crime in the city for the second straight year, saying, "We are not experiencing a crime spike."
- "Any comparison to a war-torn country is hyperbolic and false," she stated.
Between the lines: On Sunday, police chief Pamela Smith announced a temporary Juvenile Curfew Zone in Navy Yard after a teen shooting over the weekend. It prohibits persons under 17 from gathering in groups of nine or more from 8-11pm through Wednesday.
- Last week, Trump slammed the city for being too lax on juvenile offenders following an assault on a former DOGE staffer, after which two teens were arrested.
Context: Last month, the president signed an executive order seeking to make it easier for cities to remove people experiencing homelessness, directing placement in "long-term" institutions for treatment to "restore public order."
- Advocacy groups slammed the order, which encourages the use of involuntary civil commitment — a process of placing people with mental health issues in treatment facilities without their consent.
Between the lines: Trump can't just "federalize" D.C. A takeover would require Congress to overturn the city's home rule, which allows residents to elect their mayor and council members.
- Under that arrangement, Congress retains oversight of city laws, and the president can temporarily take over D.C. police if he "determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist."
Yes, but: Even without removing home rule, there are other ways Trump could squeeze the city, such as by deploying the D.C. National Guard, which is under his command, or temporarily taking command of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details about arrests over the weekend.