Overview

• President Trump invoked Section 740 of the Home Rule Act on August 11 to place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploy National Guard units following a string of high-profile violent incidents.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi and DEA Director Terry Cole have been named to oversee MPD operations under a presidential chain of command that elevates federal authority over local leadership.
• Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Pamela Smith insist MPD remains accountable to the District’s mayoral office and have signaled lawsuits to contest the federal takeover.
• Hundreds of federal agents from the FBI, ATF and other agencies have begun embedding with MPD patrols, prompting questions about civil-liberties safeguards and operational boundaries.
• Under the Home Rule Act, presidential control of D.C. police expires after 30 days unless Congress votes to extend it, setting the stage for imminent legislative and judicial battles.