Washingtonians are looking for clarity in the wake of President Trump's announcement yesterday that he's taking over the D.C. police and sending the National Guard into the city.

The big picture: There are still some outstanding questions about how the enhanced federal control will play out across the District, which Trump painted as "totally out of control" even as it has seen a decrease in violent crime.

• It's another example of how the Trump administration's recent moves have had an outsize impact on D.C. residents.

What we know: About 800 National Guard members will begin to appear on D.C.'s streets this week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a briefing yesterday. They will work in shifts of 200 for 24/7 coverage, and some will be stationed at intersections, reports the Washington Post.

• "The National Guard is being deployed to protect federal assets, provide a safe environment for law enforcement officers to make arrests and deter violent crime with a visible law enforcement presence," a White House official tells Axios.

Between the lines: The National Guard won't be involved in law enforcement functions, but they will have "broad latitude," Hegseth told Fox News Monday evening.

• If police aren't around, Hegseth "will have their back to ensure they can take the necessary action to protect the citizens of D.C. and to protect themselves."
• Other states "will contribute this week going into the weeks to come," Hegseth added.
• Trump said he may bring in the military "if needed."

Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi will be in charge of the D.C. police, which includes more than 3,000 sworn members.

Time frame: The D.C. crackdown is expected to last 30 days, but a White House official said that's subject to change, "consistent with the Task Force's operations."

• Under the Home Rule Act provision, Trump can temporarily take over D.C. police for up to 30 days.
• Hegseth told Fox News the troops could remain in D.C. for weeks or months, but emphasized that it's "the president's call."

What we're watching.

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Violent crime is declining in D.C. — not rising, as Trump claims.

The big picture: D.C. crime hit a 30-year low in 2024, according to a Justice Department statement in January — down 35% from the city's 2023 crime wave.

• And for the first half of 2025, violent crime has dropped in all categories in Washington, according to new data from Major Cities Chiefs Association.
• Violent crime is down 26% from this time in 2024, per city police data.

Zoom in: Carjackings, which surged in D.C. post-COVID, are down 37% this year — despite Trump's claims they "tripled."

• Homicides are down 12% year-over-year, with 98 so far in 2025, per MPD. Though homicides are trending higher than a decade ago.

What they're saying: During a press conference yesterday, Trump said that "murders in 2023 reached the highest rate probably ever" — ignoring the recent homicide decline.

• Homicides reached a 26-year high in D.C. in 2023, when 274 were reported. In 1991, D.C. was declared the nation's murder capital (482 homicides).

Between the lines: Several high-profile cases have troubled D.C. this year, including the slaying of two Israeli Embassy employees, which is being prosecuted as a hate crime, and the shooting of a 3-year-old girl.

• Youth crime remains a hot-button issue.

Go deeper.

Trump's ire toward Washington and its leadership dates back to his first administration, when Mayor Muriel Bowser responded in kind.

Flashback: In 2020, Trump deployed out-of-state National Guard troops to D.C. to quell protests following the murder of George Floyd.

• The move was an unprecedented use of U.S. code regarding domestic National Guard missions, according to the Brennan Center.

Friction point: Trump also blamed Bowser for not stopping the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in 2021, but her advisers tried to reach Trump's team that day.

• At the time, she offered MPD to support the U.S. Capitol Police.
• During a local radio interview, the mayor blamed the insurrection on Trump and called him an "unhinged president."

Zoom out: Bowser clashed with Trump over his use of the National Guard and federal law enforcement during his first term, but she's refrained from major criticism this time.

Read more below ⬇️

Bowser isn't joining the chorus of DMV lawmakers slamming Trump's D.C. takeover.

Why it matters: Even after Trump criticized D.C. leadership for its "abject failures" that exacerbated public safety issues, Bowser kept her cool — opting for diplomacy and cooperation over heated confrontation.

The big picture: Bowser has mostly avoided public disagreements with the president in his second term — whether capitulating on Black Lives Matter Plaza or keeping mum after White House threats.

Catch up quick: Protests erupted in D.C. Monday morning — even before Trump announced his takeover of the city's police and deployed the National Guard. They continued into the evening.

• Democratic lawmakers blasted Trump.
• The D.C. Council unanimously slammed the move as "a manufactured intrusion on local authority."

Meanwhile, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) pledged to reintroduce legislation granting D.C. full control over the National Guard and MPD when Congress reconvenes.

• D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb told Axios that legally, "We are considering all of our options and will do what's necessary to protect the rights and safety of District residents."

The other side: The D.C. Police Union backed the temporary federal intervention but emphasized long-term fixes like staffing and recruitment.

Zoom in: Yesterday, Bowser committed to working with the feds to combat violent crime.

• Asked if she's worried about losing control of the city and facing a "complete disaster," Bowser replied:
• "What could be a disaster is if we lose communities who won't call the police... if people who aren't committing crimes are antagonized into committing crimes."

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Federal agents and protesters flooded D.C. yesterday after Trump's announcement. See more photos.