On Monday, President Trump announced that Washington police would be placed under federal control, and 800 members of the National Guard would be deployed to the District of Columbia.
Trump cited the levels of crime in Washington as the main reason for this action, although many lawmakers, including District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb, have disputed the claim.
“The administration’s actions are unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful. There is no crime emergency in the District of Columbia.”
District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwal
In Virginia, Gov. Youngkin praised Trump for the action in a statement on X:
“It is a bad day for criminals in Washington, D.C. Thank you, President [Trump], for taking action to protect people in our Nation’s Capital. Terry Cole knows from our partnership with Director [Kash Patel] and General [Pam Bondi] in Virginia that when we back the blue and let police catch criminals- we make our streets safer!”
Governor Glenn Youngkin
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is also the current Republican nominee for the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election, echoed Youngkin’s praise for the president, while also noting the District of Columbia’s proximity to Virginia:
“D.C. crime doesn’t stop at the Potomac—it rides our Metro, invades our neighborhoods, and puts families harm’s way.
Thank you, President Trump, for having the backbone to make our capital safe again."
Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears
However, praise for the president’s decision was along party lines, as Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va, issued a statement condemning the move, and stating that Trump did not immediately deploy the National Guard during the January 6 attempted coup on the U.S. Capitol:
“If President Trump really cared about safety in D.C., he would have immediately deployed the National Guard on January 6, 2021, and wouldn’t have pardoned hundreds of rioters who broke into the Capitol that day, including individuals convicted of assaulting police officers. Crime is at a 30-year low in D.C., making these steps a waste of taxpayer dollars and an unnecessary escalation clearly designed to distract Americans from issues like rising prices and incompetence from the Trump Administration.”
Sen. Tim Kaine
As Kaine mentioned, many Washington officials have brought up that crime is down in the district. The Metropolitan Police announced that violent crime is down 26% in Washington, AP said.
Former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, John Fishwick, clarified the legality behind Trump’s move:
“Today President Trump has asserted some of that power and control by taking over the Washington D.C Police department. Putting it under Federal Control. He can do that originally for up to 48 hours and he can extend that for up to thirty days which is what he has done today. So basically the federal government is running law enforcement today in Washington D.C.”
John Fishwick, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia
The impacts of the federal control are currently unclear and are yet to be seen. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has stated her willingness to work with the president to make the city safe, while also emphasizing she doesn’t approve of the decision.