Troops from the Washington DC National Guard began deploying on the city’s streets on Tuesday night, a day after President Donald Trump ordered the federalisation of the capital’s police force. The move, which a White House official confirmed was prompted by Trump’s description of Washington as a “lawless” city despite official crime statistics showing otherwise, has been widely condemned as an authoritarian power grab.
Muriel Bowser, the Democratic mayor of Washington, hardened her stance on Tuesday evening after initially taking a more diplomatic approach. During a live social media event, she described the federalisation as an “authoritarian push” and called on residents to “protect our city, to protect our autonomy, to protect our home rule”. She urged voters to elect a Democratic House as a “backstop” against such actions.
Defence officials said a small number of the roughly 800 guard members planned for the mission had already been mobilised by Tuesday afternoon, with more expected in the coming days. The White House reported that about 850 officers and agents took part in a “massive law enforcement surge” across Washington on Monday night, making 23 arrests for offences including homicide, firearms violations, and drug possession. Six illegal handguns were seized. The violent crime rate in the capital is at a 30-year low.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the administration would “relentlessly pursue and arrest every violent criminal in the district” over the next month. On the issue of homelessness, she said those refusing shelter and addiction or mental health services would face fines or jail time under pre-existing laws that had not previously been enforced.
Bowser, who has cultivated a delicate working relationship with Trump since his return to power in January, initially pledged to work “side by side” with federal authorities. However, on Tuesday night she pushed back against the president’s characterisation of the city, stating: “We are not 700,000 scumbags and punks.” She insisted that the Metropolitan Police Department would ensure that federal reinforcements and National Guard troops were “well used”.
