Overview

• President Trump announced invocation of Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act to place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploy the National Guard across Washington, D.C.
• At a White House press conference, Jeanine Pirro publicly blamed the D.C. Council and local judges for “soft-on-crime” policies and warned of an aggressive federal crackdown.
• Pirro highlighted that federal prosecutors cannot charge under-18 suspects for most gun offenses unless they involve murder or rape, calling on Congress to expand juvenile jurisdiction.
• The administration’s safety argument is complicated by a reported 35 percent year-over-year decline in violent crime and allegations that MPD Chief Michael Pulliam falsified data while on leave.
• Legal and political obstacles loom over the federal takeover plan, with questions about Home Rule authority and Jeanine Pirro’s pending Senate confirmation.