Overview

• President Donald Trump invoked Section 740 of the Home Rule Act on August 11 to assume operational control of the Metropolitan Police Department and activate about 800 National Guard troops alongside hundreds of federal agents.
• Early joint patrols by the Guard, FBI, ATF and U.S. Marshals produced over 40 arrests, multiple illegal-firearms seizures and directives to clear homeless encampments.
• Mayor Muriel Bowser, D.C. Council members and MPD leadership have disputed the necessity of the order, pointing to year-over-year violent crime declines of roughly 26 to 30 percent.
• Legal analysts say the emergency order will expire automatically after 48 hours unless renewed and that longer extensions under the Home Rule Act require congressional approval.
• Commentators including Rachel Maddow warn the deployment signals authoritarian overreach, drawing parallels to earlier National Guard actions in Los Angeles and noting the omission of comment on the CDC Atlanta shooting.