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2w ago

Trump Takes Federal Command of D.C. Police and Mobilizes National Guard

Under Section 740 of the Home Rule Act, the president now holds up to 48 hours of MPD control extendable to 30 days with written notice to congressional leaders

Trump’s Washington, DC, Takeover Begins as National Guard Troops Arrive
U.S. military personnel walk with boxes of Meals Ready-to-Eat, MREs, outside the D.C. Armory after U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement to deploy the National Guard and federalize the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
President Trump announced that he will deploy National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to combat crime rates. WSJ’s Meridith McGraw explains the announcement and what it means for the city. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/ZUMA Press/Andrew Leyden/ZUMA Press
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Overview

  • On August 11, President Trump formally declared a public safety emergency in Washington and assumed temporary federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department under Section 740
  • The White House activated roughly 800 National Guard troops and deployed hundreds of agents from the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals, Secret Service and DHS to patrol city streets
  • Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Brian Schwalb denounced the takeover as unprecedented, unlawful and unnecessary
  • City data show violent crime declined 35 percent in 2024 and fell another 26 percent in the first half of 2025, challenging the administration’s depiction of a lawless capital
  • Legal scholars predict immediate court challenges and congressional oversight even as the administration touts the takeover as a model for exerting federal leverage over other Democratic-led cities