DC mayor, leaders, police union react to Trump's takeover of MPD

WASHINGTON - The Metropolitan Police Department was placed under federal control on Monday as President Donald Trump announced that National Guard troops would also be deployed to Washington D.C., sparking reactions from leaders across the District.

DC leaders react

What they're saying:

Several DC lawmakers slammed Trump's latest plan to combat crime in the nation's capital, citing declining crime rates for the last two years, while a local police union expressed their support.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser

Mayor Bowser held a press conference at 3 p.m. addressing the federal takeover of MPD. 

"The Home Rule Charter requires the mayor to provide the services of MPD during special conditions of an emergency. And we will follow the law. Though there's a question about the subjectivity of that declaration," Bowser said. 

Bowser also shared the following perspective on DC crime stats: "I believe that the president's view of DC is shaped by his COVID era experience during his first term. And it is true that those were more challenging times related to some issues. We experienced a crime spike post COVID, but we worked quickly to put laws in place and tactics that got violent offenders off our streets and gave our police officers more tools, which is why we have seen a huge decrease in crime. Because of those efforts, we have been able to reverse that 2023 crime spike this year. Crime isn't just down from 2023. It's also down from 2019 before the pandemic. And we're at a 30-year violent crime low. We're not satisfied. We haven't taken our foot off the gas. And we continue to look for ways to make our city safer."

In Monday's press conference, Bowser said she doesn't support the Trump administration's decision.

"We don’t–and I think I speak for all Americans—we don’t believe it’s legal to use the American military against American citizens on American soil," Bowser said. "I think that’s a fairly widely held fact." 

She added that the D.C. government and MPD leadership were not made aware of the plan ahead of time. 

"I did not know that the request of MPD would be made. I believed that they would be announced—that they were going to call up the National Guard. I had one phone call about the National Guard over the weekend," Bowser said. 

DC Police Union

"The DC Police Union, representing over 3,000 officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), today acknowledges and supports the President’s announcement this morning to assume temporary control of the MPD in response to the escalating crime crisis in Washington, DC. The Union agrees that crime is spiraling out of control, and immediate action is necessary to restore public safety. However, we emphasize that federal intervention must be a temporary measure, with the ultimate goal of empowering a fully staffed and supported MPD to protect our city effectively."

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) 

Norton called the decision "counterproductive, potentially dangerous, and an egregious assault on D.C. home rule."

The congresswoman went on to say that "President Trump’s decision to federalize MPD and activate the D.C. National Guard to address crime is an historic assault on D.C. home rule, is a counterproductive, escalatory seizure of D.C.’s resources to use for purposes not supported by D.C. residents… The administration is justifying the decision by misleadingly citing years-old statistics."

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb

"The Administration’s actions are unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful. There is no crime emergency in the District of Columbia. Violent crime in DC reached historic 30-year lows last year, and is down another 26% so far this year. We are considering all of our options and will do what’s necessary to protect the rights and safety of District residents."

D.C. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen

"The President taking over local control of MPD & putting the US military onto the streets of DC under the guise of public safety is wrong. It’s an extreme, outrageous, and dangerous move for our city and the safety of all our residents.

National Guard soldiers are trained for warfare & natural disasters, not for community policing. Every American should be deeply concerned with what they’re witnessing today.

It might make sense if he’s trying to create compelling TV and distract folks from the real scandals he’s facing, but it doesn’t make our city safer & it’s a dangerous abuse of power and authority.

Over the last two years, DC has experienced a 52% drop in violent crime and is now at a 30-year low. While any crime is one too many, every local leader in DC is committed to the work and progress of safer communities and preventing violence.

Today's announcement will put untrained and unaccountable members of the military in an untenable position in our communities. It’s unnecessary, unwarranted, & a dangerous escalation of power in the Nation’s Capital simply because he can."

U.S. Representative Dr. Oye Owolewa (D-D.C.)

"This is an unprecedented overreach that violates the very principle of local sovereignty. Under Mayor Bowser and Chief Smith, we have seen violent crime drop by 26%. We have less crime than Memphis, New Orleans, and St. Louis, yet the President is militarizing our streets and seizing control of our police department. By not being a state, Washingtonians face an unprecedented level of federal overreach and oppression, with no recourse against those who abuse this power."

DC Council

"This is a manufactured intrusion on local authority. Violent crime in the District is at the lowest rates we’ve seen in 30 years. Federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department is unwarranted because there is no Federal emergency. Further, the National Guard has no public safety training or knowledge of local laws. The Guard’s role does not include investigating or solving crimes in the District. Calling out the National Guard is an unnecessary deployment with no real mission."

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.)

Van Hollen and Norton announced that they will reintroduce legislation to grant the District of Columbia full control over the D.C. National Guard and the Metropolitan Police Department when Congress reconvenes in September.

"Trump’s raw authoritarian power grab in D.C. is part of a growing national crisis. He’s playing dictator in our nation’s capital as a dress rehearsal as he pushes democracy to the brink. While we continue to fight for statehood for D.C., Trump’s assault on D.C.’s autonomy makes it all the more critical that we give the District full control over its own National Guard and police department. This is not just about self-governance for D.C. – it’s also about preventing authoritarian overreach by a lawless president like we are witnessing today," Van Hollen said.

"President Trump's unprecedented federalization of the D.C. Police today and his activation of the D.C. National Guard without D.C.'s consent underscore the necessity of D.C. statehood," Norton said. 

What we don't know:

Several city leaders have yet to release statements regarding Trump's executive order, including D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who refuted the president's claims that the District's crime is on the rise during an appearance on MSNBC on Sunday.

President takes over DC police under Section 740

The backstory:

Trump announced Monday that he is deploying the National Guard to Washington, D.C., and placing the city’s police department under federal control in an effort to boost public safety in the nation’s capital.

"I'm deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, DC," Trump told reporters at a news conference at the White House. "And they're going to be allowed to do their job properly."

Trump formally declared a public safety emergency, invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

Washington, D.C.Donald J. TrumpCrime in the DMV