President Donald Trump, never one to shy away from bold gestures, is leaving an indelible mark on Washington, DC, during his second term in office. From reshaping the city’s police force to overhauling its most prized cultural institutions, Trump has made it clear that his vision for the nation’s capital will be unmistakably his. In just his first seven months back in the White House, Trump has moved swiftly—sometimes controversially—to assert his authority, igniting both fierce support and passionate opposition across the city and the country.
One of the most dramatic moves came in August 2025, when Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington, DC, and federalized the city’s police force. According to CNN, the president invoked the Home Rule Act of 1973 to justify sending a surge of federal law enforcement into DC’s streets, a move he’d considered during the 2020 protests but ultimately held back on at the time. This time, however, emboldened by what he sees as a mandate from his 2024 re-election, Trump pressed forward, undeterred by the potential backlash.
“He is far more confident this term than when he first came to Washington. He is self-assured in his decisions, and he is far more willing to take risks,” a person close to Trump told CNN. White House officials say the president’s renewed sense of purpose comes from his belief that his election victory delivered a clear message: it’s time to impose his vision on a city he’s long viewed as dominated by Democrats and liberal elites.
The immediate trigger for the federal takeover was the attempted carjacking of administration staffer Edward Coristine earlier in August, an incident Trump highlighted as evidence that crime had spiraled out of control. Trump even posted a photo of the bloodied Coristine on social media, using it as a rallying cry for action. The day before announcing the crackdown, he posted images of homeless encampments and roadside debris, reportedly taken from his motorcade as it sped through the city.
“We will take over the horribly run capital of our nation in Washington, D.C. and clean it up, renovate it, rebuild our capital city, so there’s no longer a nightmare of murder and crime,” Trump declared at a campaign rally in Atlanta in August 2024, as reported by CNN.
The president’s decision to appoint Drug Enforcement Agency head Terry Cole as emergency police commissioner further fueled the controversy. On August 15, 2025, protests erupted in downtown DC, with demonstrators decrying what they saw as an unprecedented power grab. Meanwhile, members of the US National Guard were seen patrolling near Union Station, a visible sign of the city’s new law enforcement reality.
Despite the uproar, Trump and his aides have leaned into the controversy, betting that a tough-on-crime stance will resonate with voters who feel public safety is under threat—even as some data suggests otherwise. “I could see where federalizing the police ends up permanent,” one person close to the White House told CNN, noting Democrats’ difficulty in mounting an effective response. Trump has even encouraged Congressional Republicans to work on a crime bill that could extend his federal takeover of DC beyond the 30 days currently allowed by law, though such a measure faces steep odds in the Senate.
But not all the news has been good for the president. A Pew Research Center poll released on August 14, 2025, showed sharp declines in Trump’s approval rating among younger Americans and minorities, suggesting that his aggressive tactics may be wearing thin with some voters. Still, Trump remains undeterred, buoyed by a loyal base and surrounded by advisers who, unlike in his first term, encourage him to act on his most ambitious ideas.
Trump’s influence isn’t limited to policing. He has also embarked on a sweeping campaign to reshape Washington’s cultural landscape. The Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian museums have become central battlegrounds in what Trump and his allies describe as a war against “wokeness” and liberal bias. According to CNN, Trump has slashed the size of the federal workforce, sold off government buildings, and even begun renovating the White House to more closely resemble his private clubs.
On August 13, 2025, Trump announced his direct control over the Kennedy Center’s 2025 honorees—a list that included country music legend George Strait, actors Michael Crawford and Sylvester Stallone, singer Gloria Gaynor, and the rock band KISS. “I would say I was about 98% involved. They all went through me,” Trump said of the selections, as reported by CNN. He added, “I turned down plenty. They were too woke, I had a couple of wokesters. … The Kennedy Center has everything. Look at the Academy Awards, it gets lousy ratings now, it’s all woke. All they do is talk about how much they hate Trump. but nobody likes that. They don’t watch anymore.”
Trump’s overhaul extended to the very symbols of the Kennedy Center Honors. After more than 47 years, the Center dropped the DC-area family that had crafted the iconic gold-plated medallions with rainbow satin ribbons, which had been presented to luminaries like Al Pacino, Johnny Cash, Oprah Winfrey, Bruce Springsteen, and the Grateful Dead, according to The Washington Post. The change was seen by some as emblematic of Trump’s determination to put his personal stamp on even the most cherished traditions.
Trump plans to host the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony himself in December 2025, relishing the opportunity to command a major televised event nearly a decade after his reality TV days. There’s also talk among Republican lawmakers of renaming the Kennedy Center—and even its opera house—after Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
Looking ahead, Trump has big plans for the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026, with the Kennedy Center set to play a starring role. “We’re going to do something that’s going to be incredible. We’re going to use the Kennedy Center as a big focus of it, and that’s the 250th anniversary celebration that we’re having,” Trump said, according to CNN. He has also linked his push to reduce crime and beautify DC to the upcoming America 250 festivities, emphasizing the need for the capital to be a welcoming place for tourists.
“The president’s crazy about America 250—he’s really focused on this,” a White House insider told CNN, describing Trump’s view of DC as “in disrepair, which makes it a bummer to visit. And if you’re going to get mugged while you’re there, why would you come?”
Trump’s cultural campaign has also targeted the Smithsonian museums. Following an executive order accusing the museums of “divisive, race-centered ideology,” Trump directed a top-level review of exhibits to ensure they “reflect the unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story.” Vice President JD Vance has been tasked with stopping government spending on exhibits or programs that “degrade shared American values.” Trump insisted, “We want the museums to treat our country fairly,” pushing back on accusations that his administration is rewriting history for political gain.
As for the city itself, Trump has even weighed in on the grass. “We’re going to also fix up a place called Washington, DC,” he said. “We’re going to make it so beautiful again.” He’s reportedly eager to “redo the grass with the finest grasses,” drawing on his experience as a golf course owner.
Throughout all these changes, Trump’s support in DC itself remains limited. He won just 7% of the city’s vote in 2024—a slight uptick from previous cycles, but still a small minority. Yet, if anything, the president seems energized by his outsider status, determined to leave his mark on the capital, for better or worse.
With the 250th anniversary of the nation, the FIFA World Cup, and the Olympics all on the horizon, Trump’s vision for Washington, DC, is set to take center stage. Whether these sweeping changes will be embraced or resisted remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the city—and the country—won’t soon forget the Trump era’s bold ambitions.