Earlier this week, President Donald Trump mandated a comprehensive federal intervention in Washington, D.C., which includes the deployment of National Guard troops and federal law enforcement to oversee the streets, assume control of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and address violent crime. However, the national media has not been favorable towards him.
While earlier reports indicated that overall violent crime in D.C. has decreased compared to 2023 — with homicides down by 32%, robberies by 39%, and armed carjackings by 53% — there are doubts regarding the accuracy of these statistics.
This week, CNN and MSNBC referenced MPD’s crime statistics over 70 times to challenge Trump’s assertions about widespread crime.
Nevertheless, these statistics faced criticism earlier this year when MPD commander Michael Pulliam was suspended after the police union alleged that department supervisors had manipulated crime data “to create the impression that violent crime has significantly decreased compared to last year.”
It is important to note that some local residents are already reporting that the operation has yielded positive results:
A spokesperson from the White House also informed Fox News Digital that “the recent increase of federal law enforcement officers throughout Washington, D.C., has already curtailed vicious criminals, the distribution of lethal narcotics, and the violent use of stolen handguns.”
The statement characterized Trump’s intervention as “bold leadership and decisive action” intended to restore “our nation’s capital to a beautiful and safe environment for its residents and visitors from around the globe.”
Trump has made it clear that his administration will not retreat.
“This is the United States of America. It’s the greatest country on Earth,” Trump stated. “Our nation’s capital should embody something superior to the standards it has been subjected to over the past several years.”
This initiative is enacted under a formal executive order declaring a “Crime Emergency in the District of Columbia.”
The order references data indicating that the nation’s capital “currently experiences a higher rate of violent crime, murder, and robbery than all 50 states,” with a homicide rate of 27.54 per 100,000 residents in 2024. It also highlights that D.C. “has consistently had one of the highest robbery and murder rates among large cities across the nation.”
“You can pursue any ambition you desire, but it is essential to ensure safety on the streets,” Trump stated during a press conference at the White House. “You should be able to exit your apartment or home and feel secure while going to a store to purchase a newspaper or any item, which is not the case currently.”
According to the plan, the federal government will temporarily take direct control of the Metropolitan Police Department’s operations, a measure made possible by the District’s distinctive legal status under the Constitution. Federal agencies such as the FBI, DEA, and ATF will collaborate with local law enforcement, concentrating on dismantling violent gangs, halting the distribution of lethal narcotics, and retrieving stolen firearms.
This federal initiative also arises as Washington was ranked fourth in 2024 among 24 major U.S. cities for homicide rates, as reported by the Rochester Institute of Technology. Only St. Louis, New Orleans, and Detroit had higher murder rates.
Former NYPD Lieutenant Darrin Porcher clarified that while Trump can directly take control of the MPD due to D.C.’s unique status, similar actions in other cities could be implemented through federal consent decrees.
“The federal government can… deploy a contingent of FBI, DEA, or ATF agents to a specific city… to address the rampant crimes being committed,” Porcher remarked. Such task forces could concentrate on homicides, robberies, burglaries, and other violent crimes.
