President Donald Trump took unprecedented steps toward federalizing Washington, D.C. on Monday, saying it’s needed to fight crime even as city leaders pointed to data showing violence is down.He took command of the police department and deployed the National Guard under laws and Constitutional powers that give the federal government more sway over the nation’s capital than other cities.

President Donald Trump said Monday he is placing Washington, DC’s, police department “under direct federal control” and deploying National Guard troops to the nation’s capital, citing a public safety emergency after an assault on a former government worker.

Trump painted a portrait of a city overrun by criminals: Mayor Muriel Bowser disputed Trump’s justification for declaring a crime emergency in her city, noting that the capital's crime rate has been trending down after a post-pandemic increase that peaked in 2023.