WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has again raised the possibility of placing Washington DC under federal control. He cited concerns over crime rates, though official data shows violent crime has declined.
Under current law, governance of the US capital rests with the locally elected District of Columbia government. Congress maintains oversight, but Trump has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with this arrangement.
“We’re considering it, yeah, because the crime is ridiculous,“ Trump told reporters when asked about federalising the city’s police force. He suggested deploying the National Guard as a potential measure.
Police statistics reveal violent crime in Washington DC dropped by 26 percent in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year. Crime rates in 2024 were already at their lowest in three decades.
Trump’s comments follow a social media post where he threatened city leaders. “If DC doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control,“ he wrote.
The president recently deployed California’s National Guard to Los Angeles during immigration protests, overriding local objections. He has frequently floated using military forces in Democratic-led cities.
Washington’s congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton dismissed Trump’s claims. “Presidents have no authority to unilaterally take control of DC,“ she stated, vowing to block any legislative attempts. - AFP
