Overview

• On August 11, President Trump invoked Section 740 of the Home Rule Act to declare a Public Safety Emergency and place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal supervision.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi was appointed federal supervisor of the MPD and DEA Director Terry Cole named interim police commissioner.
• The Department of Defense mobilized roughly 800 D.C. National Guard troops under Army oversight to support law-and-order operations.
• Mayor Muriel Bowser and other local leaders disputed the need for intervention, citing DOJ and MPD data showing a 26 percent drop in violent crime this year and a 30-year low in 2024.
• Absent Congressional action, the Home Rule Act’s emergency authority expires after 30 days, setting up likely court challenges and political battles over D.C.’s autonomy.