Overview

• President Trump declared a public-safety emergency under the Home Rule Act, placing the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploying about 800 National Guard troops.
• D.C. leaders point to a 35 percent drop in violent crime in 2024 and a multi-decade low to challenge both the necessity and legality of the takeover.
• On NewsNation’s On Balance, host Leland Vittert abruptly ended his exchange with Mehdi Hasan after Hasan connected the action to Trump’s post-Jan. 6 pardons.
• Hasan accused the administration of a power grab, noting roughly 600 pardons for rioters who assaulted police on January 6 as evidence of inconsistent law-and-order rhetoric.
• Supporters highlight recent videos of youth violence and carjackings in the district, while critics warn the move risks federal overreach and faces looming legal challenges.