The U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of National Guard troops to the nation’s capital in a move he says is aimed at combating crime and restoring public safety.

The decision, which includes a federal takeover of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, has been described by critics as politically motivated and unprecedented.

“We are taking back our capital,” Trump declared during a press conference, framing the action as a “historic” step to protect Washington from “crime, bloodshed, chaos, misery, and worse.” He added: “We won’t lose our cities… We’re making a very strong start in Washington, and we’ll clean it up very quickly.”

The announcement came shortly after reports of an attack earlier this month on 19-year-old Edward Coristine, a former employee of the Office of Government Efficiency, during an attempted carjacking by a group of young people.

Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois and senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, dismissed the move as “political theater.” Speaking alongside Democratic members of the Texas state legislature who had traveled to Illinois to block a Republican redistricting plan, Durbin criticized the federalization of D.C.’s police force, noting that “they have made significant progress in reducing violent crime in DC.”

Official statistics from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department show that violent crime in the city dropped 35 percent in 2024 compared to 2023, marking the lowest rate in over three decades. The city recorded 112 murders in 2024.

Despite the recent decline, Trump suggested that similar deployments could soon target cities like Chicago and Los Angeles, signaling a broader crackdown on urban crime.

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser strongly opposed the move, calling it “disturbing” and “unprecedented,” and accusing the White House of “encroachment on autonomy.” She also questioned the legality and necessity of using military forces for domestic law enforcement, saying she does not believe “the US military should be used against American citizens on American soil.”

It remains unclear whether mayors in other cities will resist potential National Guard deployments, as the administration signals readiness to expand the policy nationwide. (ILKHA)