President Donald Trump has reignited a heated national debate after stating he would consider reopening mental asylums, or long-term psychiatric institutions, for individuals with severe mental illness. The remarks, made during an hour-long Oval Office interview with the Daily Caller and published on September 1, 2025, come amid his administration’s aggressive crackdown on crime and homelessness in Washington, D.C., and signal a potential shift in how the country addresses mental health and public safety.
Trump’s comments followed a question from Daily Caller White House Correspondent Reagan Reese, who asked if he would be open to the government reopening insane asylums for people with serious mental illness. Without hesitation, Trump replied, “Yeah I would.” He elaborated, recalling a time when such institutions were commonplace in states like New York and California. “Well, they used to have them, and you never saw people like we had, you know, they used to have them. And what happened is states like New York and California that had them, New York had a lot of them. They released them all into society because they couldn’t afford it. You know, it’s massively expensive,” Trump said, according to the Daily Caller.
The president went on to reminisce about his youth in New York, mentioning specific facilities. “I remember when I was growing up, Creedmoor. They had a place, Creedmoor, they had a lot of them, Bellevue, and they were closed by a certain governor. And I remember when they did, it was a long time ago, and I said they didn’t release these people? And they did. They released them into society, and that’s what you have. It’s a rough, it’s a rough situation.” Trump underscored his concerns about public safety, stating, “Because, you can’t have these people walking around. So dangerous, so dangerous. And they can live to be 85 years old.”
His proposal is part of a broader law-and-order agenda that has dominated his second term, especially in the nation’s capital. Since August 7, 2025, Trump has sent federal law enforcement and the National Guard into Washington, D.C., forming the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force. According to the Daily Mail and the White House, as of August 29, there have been 1,369 arrests, including 12 known gang members from MS-13 and TDA, the recovery of five missing children, and the clearing of 50 homeless encampments. Trump has repeatedly referred to D.C. as a “crime free zone,” telling the Daily Caller, “So it turned out, it was amazing, because we’re a crime free zone now. I mean, you see what’s going on? There’s no crime. People are walking to restaurants. They’re free. It’s almost like we just freed the whole Washington, DC.”
City officials have acknowledged the dramatic drop in crime. Even Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser credited the surge in federal officers and National Guard troops for an 87 percent reduction in carjackings and a broader sense of safety. “We greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance what MPD has been able to do in this city,” Bowser said at a press conference, according to Breitbart News. “We know that when carjackings go down, when use of guns goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer, so this surge has been important to us.” She also noted her direct work with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Trump’s “zero tolerance homelessness plan” has been a centerpiece of his federal intervention in D.C. and his wider national crime crackdown. The president has promised to relocate the homeless away from the capital, making the city “more beautiful” and eliminating what he calls “the slums,” according to the Daily Mail. He has also expressed interest in expanding this approach to other major cities, including Chicago and New York.
Yet, the prospect of reopening asylums is fraught with historical baggage and controversy. As reported by the Independent, the term “insane asylum” traditionally refers to older psychiatric institutions where people deemed mentally ill could be involuntarily confined for extended periods—often in harsh, sometimes abusive conditions. Widespread scandals, court judgments, and the advent of new psychiatric medications, along with the enormous cost of maintaining these facilities, led to sweeping reforms in the latter half of the twentieth century. The population of such institutions was reduced by over 90 percent, and it became much harder to detain individuals involuntarily for long stretches.
Advocates for mental health reform have long debated the consequences of these closures. Some argue that deinstitutionalization has left many vulnerable people with severe mental illnesses living on the streets or cycling through jails and short-term facilities, unable to access the long-term care they need. Others point to the history of abuse and neglect in asylums as a cautionary tale, warning against a return to mass institutionalization. The Independent noted that many of the institutions Trump referenced, such as Creedmoor and Bellevue, were infamous for mistreatment, which played a significant role in their eventual closure or restructuring. (It’s worth noting, as the Independent did, that Creedmoor Psychiatric Center still exists, though its role has changed.)
During the interview, Trump also repeated his tough-on-crime rhetoric, describing D.C. as a “crime free zone because we don’t play games. You know, I said they spit, we hit.” He recounted stories of bystanders being harassed on the street and criticized previous policies that he felt tied the hands of law enforcement. “Some women, screaming, like crazy, they’re crazy. And then they start spitting in the face of the guy. And these guys are just, they wouldn’t, but they can’t do it. Now they can do it. So I said, we spit– they spit, we hit. Right?”
When pressed by Reese on how soon he would consider enacting the asylum plan, Trump appeared surprised by the attention the idea was receiving. “Why is that a big thing? People are thinking about that?” he asked, suggesting that public interest in the issue might influence his administration’s priorities.
Critics have pointed out the logistical and ethical challenges of reopening asylums, especially given the high costs and the risk of repeating past abuses. Trump himself acknowledged the financial burden, saying, “It’s massively expensive.” Nonetheless, he insisted that such institutions could make America’s streets safer. “For those who are severely mentally ill and deeply disturbed, we will bring them back to mental institutions, where they belong... with the goal of reintegrating them back into society once they are well enough to manage,” he has stated previously on the campaign trail, according to the Independent.
Looking ahead, Trump’s proposal has sparked fierce debate among politicians, mental health professionals, and the public. Some see it as a necessary response to rising homelessness and visible mental illness on city streets, while others fear a return to a darker era of American psychiatry. As the nation watches Washington, D.C.’s transformation under Trump’s “zero tolerance” policies, the question of how best to balance public safety, compassion, and civil liberties remains as urgent—and divisive—as ever.
