In a recent statement, Donald Trump declared, “The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong. It’s all going to happen very fast.” This announcement followed his earlier threat to deploy the National Guard to combat what he claims is rising crime in Washington, D.C. On his Truth Social platform, Trump posted images of tents and littered streets, promising, “I’m going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before.” The White House has not clarified what legal authority Trump would use to remove people from the city, as the president’s control is limited to federal land and buildings.
According to government statistics, Washington, D.C. ranks 15th among major US cities in terms of its homeless population. The Community Partnership, an organization working on homelessness in the city, reports that on any given night, 3,782 individuals are experiencing homelessness out of a population of approximately 700,000. While these numbers are down from pre-pandemic levels, about 800 of these people are considered “unsheltered.” A White House official stated that more federal law enforcement officers were being deployed to the city after a violent attack on a young staffer angered the president.
In response to Trump’s claims, Washington, D.C.’s Democratic Mayor, Muriel Bowser, asserted that the city is “not experiencing a crime spike.” Bowser highlighted on MSNBC that the city has spent the last two years driving down violent crime to a “30-year low.” The city’s police department reports that violent crime in the first seven months of 2025 was down by 26% compared to the previous year, with overall crime down by about 7%. Mayor Bowser did not directly criticize Trump but called any comparison to a “war-torn country…hyperbolic and false.”
Trump’s threat to use the National Guard comes on the heels of a similar move in California, where he deployed military reserves to quell protests over immigration raids, despite objections from local officials. The president has often spoken about using the military to control US cities, many of which are led by Democrats who oppose his policies. Bowser mentioned that Trump is “very aware” of the city’s collaboration with federal law enforcement, having met with him in the Oval Office weeks earlier.
While Washington, D.C.’s budget is controlled by Congress, residents elect a mayor and City Council. Trump has long expressed frustration with this arrangement and has threatened to federalize the city, giving the White House final authority over its administration. To do so, Congress would likely have to pass a law revoking the city’s local governance, which Trump would then need to sign. Trump plans to hold a news conference on Monday to address “violent crime in Washington, D.C.,” though it is unclear if he will provide further details about his plan to evict
