Trump announces federal takeover of DC police and mobilization of National Guard

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The FBI provided CNN with a photo of Director Kash Patel speaking to FBI agents Monday.

The FBI provided CNN with a photo of Director Kash Patel speaking to FBI agents in tactical vests on Monday outside of the US Park Police Anacostia Park Station amid President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of DC police.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum posted photos to social media on Monday that show him meeting with law enforcement officers in Washington, DC.

The photos, posted by Burgum on X, show him shaking hands with US Park Police Chief Jessica Taylor and standing beside FBI Director Kash Patel and DEA Administrator Terry Cole, whom President Donald Trump has tapped as interim federal commissioner of the DC Metropolitan Police Department.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum tweeted this photo of himself alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and DEA Administrator Terry Cole on Monday.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum tweeted this photo of him meeting with DC law enforcement officers on Monday.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum tweeted this photo of him meeting with US Park Police Chief Jessica Taylor on Monday.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that there won’t be “rogue law enforcement going on from the National Guard” in Washington, DC and noted, when pressed, that the soldiers would have the authorization to temporarily detain people.

When asked whether the military would assist with clearing out homeless encampments in the city, Hegseth said the soldiers would assist local law enforcement.

“That’s not really my lane,” he said. “Our job is to stand alongside law enforcement.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks at a vigil in Los Angeles on June 10.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Monday condemned President Donald Trump’s move to federalize local law enforcement and deploy the National Guard in Washington, DC, calling it “unsettling” and an “overreach of presidential powers.”

Bass conceded that Americans’ concerns about crime required some response, but she argued the Trump administration’s moves would not help.

Bass added, “I don’t think you just shove the statistics in folks, but you do other things to make them feel safe. You don’t use the military to help people feel better.”

Bass also discussed parallels to her clashes with the administration over its move to federalize the National Guard and deploy Marines in response to immigration protests in her city in June.

“The notion that to have the federal government come in and take over your city is what is unsettling, and it was certainly unsettling to us,” Bass told CNN. “To me, it just all boiled down to being a stunt, and I just don’t think you should use our troops for political stunts.”

Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser struck a diplomatic tone during a news conference this afternoon to discuss President Donald Trump’s decision to place the city’s police department under federal control and to deploy the National Guard.

Earlier, three sources told CNN that Bowser and DC Police Chief Pamela Smith did not know of Trump’s move before his announcement this morning.

While she called it “unsettling and unprecedented,” the mayor said she believes the president’s view is “shaped by his Covid-era experience during his first term” when crime spiked while noting that the crime rate has since fallen.

Those who have been appointed by Trump to help implement the executive order will report to the attorney general, Bowser said, adding she has reached out to Pam Bondi to set up a meeting.

What is known about the deployment so far: Troops are not expected to openly carry rifles as they patrol the streets, an Army official told CNN. Bowser said all members of federal law enforcement will “be identifiable by uniform, a badge, a jacket,” when asked about potential confusion with so many different agencies being involved.

What the US Army has said: “There will be about 800 Soldiers activated. During this activation, between 100-200 Soldiers will be supporting law enforcement at any given time,” the Army’s statement said. “Their duties will include an array of tasks from administrative, logistics and physical presence in support of law enforcement.”

Some reactions: DC Police Union Chairman Greggory Pemberton said the group agreed with Trump that “something needs to be done” about crime in DC while the Democratic Mayors Association described the president’s move as a “political charade.”

Eleanor Holmes Norton, a non-voting delegate who represents DC in Congress, and Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen announced Monday plans to reintroduce legislation that, if passed, would grant the District of Columbia full control over its Metropolitan Police Department and the DC National Guard.

With GOP majorities in both the House and Senate, the legislation is unlikely to become law.

“Until we get the full protections that statehood would provide, our bills repealing the president’s authority to federalize the local D.C. police department and to give D.C.’s mayor control over the D.C. National Guard, like governors of states have over their National Guards, places D.C. closer to having control over some of its most vital affairs,” Norton said in a statement.

Van Hollen, in a statement, accused Trump of “playing dictator in our nation’s capital as a dress rehearsal as he pushes democracy to the brink.”

“This is not just about self-governance for D.C. – it’s also about preventing authoritarian overreach by a lawless president like we are witnessing today,” Van Hollen added.

William Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs at Syracuse University, told CNN last week that Trump’s command of guard troops in the district makes it easier for them to participate in law enforcement “on behalf of the government,” which would typically require a governor’s request.

“By statute, the president is made the commander of the DC Guard. In every other place, every other state, it’s the governor. Here, it’s the president,” Banks said.

Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser said that the city is going to do its best “to maintain the trust that DC residents have in us” and outlined the ways a lapse in confidence in law enforcement would affect the nation’s capital.

“What could be a disaster is if we lose communities who won’t call the police. That could be a disaster. It would be a disaster if communities won’t talk to the police if a crime has been committed and could help solve that crime, that could be a disaster. It would be a disaster if people who aren’t committing crimes are antagonized into committing crimes,” she continued.

DC Police Union Chairman Greggory Pemberton testifies during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee's hearing on March 29, 2023.

DC Police Union Chairman Greggory Pemberton said Monday that the group agrees with President Donald Trump that crime is out of control in DC and that “something needs to be done.”

“The fact that we need help from federal law enforcement and maybe even the National Guard should not come as a surprise. We agree with that,” he said on Fox News, adding that legislation was necessary to properly staff the city’s police department. There are more than 800 vacancies for the position of police officer, he said.

“Every aspect of our criminal justice system in DC is broken, and every broken aspect can be traced back to radical activists on the city council,” Pemberton said.

Some context: Trump has repeatedly complained about rising crime in DC. But so far this year, overall crime numbers are lower than in 2024, according to a preliminary year-to-date crime comparison from DC’s Metropolitan Police Department — following a similar trend of declining crime rates in major US cities.

Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser said she has been advised that all members of federal law enforcement will “be identifiable by uniform, a badge, a jacket,” when asked about potential confusion with so many different agencies being involved now that President Donald Trump has ordered a surge in federal law enforcement within the city.

“We have been advised and we will continue to make this clear that this is needed in our city that all law enforcement be identifiable by uniform, a badge, a jacket, so that people know that they are law enforcement,” she said.

“And the chief in her coordination with the command on the federal side will make clear how the protocols for response,” she continued. “But the main point is this, everybody should follow the law, the police and the community.”

National Guard troops deployed to Washington, DC, are not expected to openly carry rifles as they patrol the streets, an Army official told CNN.

Instead, the troops will likely have weapons nearby — in their trucks, for example — if they absolutely need to access them for self-defense purposes, the official said.

The official said that is how they will be operating unless explicitly ordered otherwise, which the official said is always a possibility.

Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks as Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith, left, and DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly, listen during a news conference on President Donald Trump's plan to place the city police under federal control and deploy national guard troops on August 11.

Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser said she doesn’t expect her communication with Donald Trump to change after the president announced a crackdown on crime in the city.

Asked whether she would push back against Trump’s moves, Bowser said her “tenor will be appropriate for what I think is important for the district.”

“If people are concerned about a president’s ability to have … the police department be responsive to the Department of Justice, the time to address that is when we’re talking about statehood for DC,” Bowser said.

The mayor said her office will communicate with the administration on “what they are looking to see,” adding that “it could be positive” to have a larger law enforcement presence in DC neighborhoods.

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks as Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith, on stage third left, and DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly, on stage second right, listen during a news conference on August 11 in Washington, DC.

Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser said that she has reached out to Attorney General Pam Bondi and hopes to meet with her soon following President Donald Trump’s takeover of the DC police department.

Asked about Trump’s framing the move as a “takeover” and who the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department will be reporting to, Bowser said, “Nothing about our organizational chart has changed. And nothing in the executive order would indicate otherwise.”

She went on to explain that the chief of police will report to the deputy mayor who then reports directly to her.

Bowser said those who have been appointed by Trump to help implement the executive order will report to Bondi.

Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks at a press conference on August 11 in Washington, DC.

Mayor Muriel Bowser said President Donald Trump’s action today “is unsettling and unprecedented.”

“I don’t want to minimize what was said, and I don’t want to minimize the intrusion on our autonomy,” she told a reporter.

She again advocated for full statehood for Washington, DC, after Trump said he has decided to placed the city’s Metropolitan Police Department “under direct federal control” and deploying the National Guard to crack down on crime.

Bowser promised to operate the government “in a way that makes you proud.”

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks as Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith listens during a news conference on August 11.

Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser said she believes President Donald Trump’s view of the nation’s capital is “shaped by his Covid-era experience during his first term” and stressed that crime rates are down.

“We’re not satisfied. We haven’t taken our foot off the gas, and we continue to look for ways to make our city safer,” Bowser added.

Bowser also noted that the DC is not a state and therefore doesn’t control the DC National Guard or have “full autonomy.”

“Limited Home Rule gives the federal government the ability to intrude on our autonomy in many ways,” Bowser said, referring to the 1973 law that gave Congress oversight and authority over the capital city but allowed district residents to have some control over how it is run.

Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser will hold a news conference at 3 p.m. ET following President Donald Trump’s announcement this morning that he is placing the city’s Metropolitan Police Department “under direct federal control” and deploying the National Guard to crack down on crime.

Bowser will address reporters at the John A. Wilson Building, which is just a stone’s throw from the White House campus.

CNN reported earlier that neither the MPD nor Bowser was aware of Trump’s plan to take over the department.

The Democratic Mayors Association released a statement today pushing back against President Donald Trump’s takeover of Washington, DC’s police department and deployment of federal law enforcement to the nation’s capital to address crime.

The association stated that “crime is down in most major cities - including Washington, DC - in spite of” Trump and went on to criticize the president’s policies.

The District of Columbia National Guard Headquarters is seen in Washington, DC, on August 11.

Roughly 800 DC National Guard soldiers will provide administrative and logistical support, as well as physical support to law enforcement, during their mobilization in Washington, DC, a statement today from the Army said.

“There will be about 800 Soldiers activated. During this activation, between 100-200 Soldiers will be supporting law enforcement at any given time,” the statement said. “Their duties will include an array of tasks from administrative, logistics and physical presence in support of law enforcement.”

Two US officials told CNN on Monday that operational details about the mobilization were still being worked through — such as where the soldiers will physically be assigned, what their command-and-control will be, and more.

Given that only 100 to 200 soldiers will be on duty at any given time, one of the US officials said the other several hundred troops could be off duty at the DC National Guard armory, or even possibly sent home until the next shift given that many likely live locally.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a news conference on Monday alongside Trump that the Guard would begin flowing into DC this week.

Defense officials were given the green light to move forward with activating the National Guard personnel today, when President Donald Trump announced it. The troops will be in a Title 32 status, meaning they are under local authority but being federally funded. Troops in Title 32 status are also not subject to the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits US service members from partaking in law enforcement activities.

DC Metropolitan police vehicles during a protest near the White House in Washington, DC, on August 11.

President Donald Trump announced his administration’s plans to combat crime in Washington, DC, by deploying federal law enforcement to the nation’s capital during a news conference at the White House today.

The president also addressed foreign policy issues, including his planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and tariff negotiations with China.

Here are key takeaways from Trump’s announcement:

Crackdown on DC crime:

Putin meeting and China tariff negotiations:

Residents of Washington, DC, listed crime, violence and guns as the biggest problem facing the District today, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll conducted this spring. In response to an open-ended question, 21% residents overall cited an issue related to those topics — 9 points above the next most critical issue, which was issues related to President Donald Trump himself (12%).

More details about responses on crime:

The key takeaway: The poll suggests that the sense of crime as a major problem is down from recent years. Although it remains the most often cited issue facing the district, the share naming it is down significantly since 2022, when 36% named an issue related to crime, violence or guns as most important. DC residents are also less likely to consider crime a deeply serious problem than they did even one year ago, when 65% said it was an extremely or very serious problem.

Meanwhile, on the question of Trump: A broad majority (71%) said they felt Trump was getting too involved in local DC issues, while just 11% said he wasn’t getting involved enough. More (77%) expressed concern about threats from Trump to take over the DC government, including 51% who said they were “extremely concerned” about that threat.

The survey, conducted April 22 to May 4, included interviews with 651 adults who live in the District of Columbia and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.6 for results among District residents.