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President Trump has deployed National Guard troops and federal agents to Washington, D.C. as part of a comprehensive takeover of the District’s policing operations, following his emergency declaration aimed at combating violent crime and disorder in the nation’s capital.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt announced that nearly 850 federal agents began patrolling the city Monday evening, resulting in 23 arrests on charges including homicide, gun crimes, drug offenses, drunk driving, and fare evasion. More than 800 D.C. National Guard soldiers arrived Tuesday morning to support the administration’s law enforcement efforts.
The federal intervention extends beyond traditional crime fighting to address homelessness, with U.S. Park Police clearing 70 homeless encampments. Displaced individuals were offered treatment or shelter options, with those refusing facing potential arrest or fines for living on sidewalks, underpasses, and public spaces throughout the District.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, overseeing the 30-day emergency declaration, met with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to coordinate implementation. The federal takeover was triggered partly by an August 3rd attack on Edward Corisitine, a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer known online as “Big Balls,” who was assaulted by teenagers while protecting his date from a potential car theft.
The timing proved symbolic as the District recorded its 100th homicide of 2025 just hours after President Trump’s announcement. The fatal shooting of 33-year-old Tymark Wells occurred in the same Northwest neighborhood where Mr. Corisitine was attacked, though police data indicates killings are down 11% year-over-year.
Federal agents have been deployed to popular areas including the U Street corridor and neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River, historically plagued by violent crime. The D.C. Police Union supports the federal intervention, hoping it leads to meaningful legal reforms.
Local Democratic leadership has pushed back against the president’s actions. Mayor Bowser called the move “unsettling and unprecedented,” but pledged cooperation during the emergency period. The D.C. Council characterized it as a “manufactured intrusion,” noting violent crime is at a 30-year low. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb deemed the takeover “unlawful” and unnecessary given significant crime reductions since 2023’s spike in violence.
Mr. Trump disputed local crime statistics, calling them unreliable and referencing investigations into potential data manipulation by Metropolitan Police officials. The White House claims D.C. has the nation’s fourth-highest homicide rate and vehicle theft rates three times the national average, with carjackings rising 547% between 2018 and 2023.
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