Washington, DC —(Map)
US President Donald Trump has taken advantage of a little-used law to take control of the police of Washington, DC. On Monday, claiming an “emergency”, he also put National Guard soldiers on the streets of the US capital. Mr. Trump says he aims to end violent crime and remove homeless people from the city.
Washington, DC isn’t a state. It’s a special area created by the US Constitution as the nation’s capital. That means Congress has almost complete control over what happens there. In 1973, Congress passed a law giving DC’s government more power. But that law also gave the US president a way to take control of DC’s police in an emergency.
(Source: C-Span.org.)
On Monday, Mr. Trump described crime in DC as being “out of control”. By calling the situation an “emergency”, Mr. Trump can take on extra powers that he could not normally use. Though what Mr. Trump is doing is allowed by law, he is using his power in a way that no president has before.
In the past, Mr. Trump has often declared emergencies to give himself more power. Since taking office in January, Mr. Trump has declared nine national emergencies.
But Mr. Trump’s claim of a crime emergency in DC isn’t accurate. Violent crime in DC is actually the lowest it has been in 30 years. Still, DC’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, says she can’t fight Mr. Trump’s actions. Legally, Mr. Trump can take control of DC’s police for up to 30 days. After that, Congress would have to pass a new law to let him remain in charge.
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By calling the situation an “emergency”, Mr. Trump can take on extra powers that he could not normally use. Above, local and US law enforcement officers check out a suspect’s car in Washington, DC on Monday. Officers above include members of the police, the FBI, and the DEA.
Why Act If There’s No Emergency?
Recently, Mr. Trump has complained on social media about an attack in DC on a man who worked under Elon Musk at DOGE. He has also complained about seeing homeless people in DC. In a recent post, Mr. Trump wrote, “The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital.”
Mr. Trump is also trying to make a political point, suggesting that Democratic leaders are “weak on crime”. Ms. Bowser is a Democrat. “This will go further, ” Mr. Trump said, suggesting that he also plans to send soldiers to other cities led by Democrats, including Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York.
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Mr. Trump suggested that he also plans to take control of the police in other cities, including Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. In June, Mr. Trump sent thousands of National Guard soldiers and Marines to Los Angeles in response to protests about the way ICE was looking for and arresting immigrants.
The Democratic Mayors Association had this response to Mr. Trump’s actions. “Let’s be clear: Crime is down in most major cities — including Washington, DC — in spite of Donald Trump, not because of him.”
Though Mr. Trump has special powers in DC, he doesn’t have such powers in other cities. But that has not stopped him from taking unusual actions in the past. In June, Mr. Trump sent thousands of National Guard soldiers and Marines to Los Angeles in response to protests about the way ICE was looking for and arresting immigrants.
Did You Know…?
The Washington Post has reported that Mr. Trump’s government is considering creating a special US military force to be sent to cities when there are protests. In general, it’s against the law in the US to use the military to enforce laws.
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