Photo: JIM WATSON / AFP / Getty Images
National Guard troops have arrived in Washington, D.C., following President Donald Trump's order to address what he describes as a crime emergency in the nation's capital. The deployment comes after Trump placed the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under federal control, citing concerns over rising crime rates, despite official figures showing a 30-year low in violent crime.
The White House announced that the National Guard's presence will be reevaluated in 30 days, and Attorney General Pam Bondi will oversee the federal takeover of the city's police department. The decision has sparked controversy, with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser acknowledging the president's authority but disputing his depiction of the city as overrun by "bloodthirsty criminals" and "roving mobs."
The deployment includes 800 National Guard troops and the temporary reassignment of 120 FBI agents to nighttime patrols. The administration aims to dismantle homeless encampments and enforce existing laws more strictly, with potential fines or jail time for noncompliance, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
President Trump has also suggested expanding similar measures to other cities like Chicago, though his authority to do so would be more limited outside D.C.