President Donald Trump has warned that Washington, D.C. could face a “complete and total federal takeover” if Mayor Muriel Bowser continues to publish what he calls “false and highly inaccurate crime figures,” escalating tensions between the White House and city officials.
In an early morning statement on Truth Social, Trump praised the work of the D.C. National Guard and local police, claiming the capital was “safe again” under federal oversight. He noted that “there were no murders this week for the first time in memory” and insisted that Bowser must “immediately stop” releasing crime statistics or face the prospect of federal intervention.
The remarks follow Trump’s Aug. 14 announcement of a 30-day federal emergency takeover of public safety in the capital, citing what he described as “crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor.” Since then, federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshals Service, and National Guard have been deployed across the city.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who accompanied Trump on a Thursday visit to a Park Police facility, credited the federal presence with preventing homicides. “Because of law enforcement on the ground, no murders have been reported,” she said, announcing that 630 arrests had been made since the takeover, including 251 immigrants in the country illegally, along with the seizure of 86 illegal firearms.
The Trump administration’s intervention has drawn fierce pushback from D.C. leaders. Attorney General Brian Schwalb has accused the White House of abusing its authority under the Home Rule Act. On Aug. 15, he filed a lawsuit challenging what he described as an “unlawful attempt to take over the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).”
“By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the Administration is infringing on the District’s right to self-governance and putting the safety of D.C. residents and visitors at risk,” Schwalb said in a statement.
The lawsuit followed Bondi’s directive appointing DEA chief Terry Cole as “Emergency Police Commissioner,” a move Judge Ana Reyes blocked during an emergency hearing. While the Justice Department agreed to rescind the appointment, Bondi issued a new order requiring MPD to comply with federal immigration enforcement directives.
Bowser, backed by Schwalb, has maintained that D.C. crime is at historic lows, citing data showing violent crime dropped 27% in 2025 compared to the previous year. The Metropolitan Police Department echoed those figures in its latest report, directly contradicting Trump’s claims.
The Department of Justice has since confirmed it is reviewing the city’s crime data, following Trump’s assertion that D.C. was under “serious investigation” for publishing “fake” numbers.
As the standoff continues, the political and legal battle over control of the nation’s capital has intensified, with federal agents still patrolling its streets and city officials fighting in court to restore local authority.
