Washington, D.C. has found itself at the center of a storm this August, as President Donald Trump’s unprecedented federal takeover of the city’s police force continues to send shockwaves through the capital. The move, announced on Monday, August 11, 2025, has been met with a mix of confusion, anxiety, and political debate, as residents and officials alike grapple with the sudden militarization of their city and the uncertain future it signals for American urban governance.
Trump’s decision to assume direct control over the D.C. police department was pitched as a bold effort to restore public safety. “People that haven’t gone out to dinner in Washington, D.C. in two years, are going out to dinner, and the restaurants, the last two days, were busier than they’ve been in a long time,” the president declared from the White House, as reported by WTOP. He went further, claiming, “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years, and Washington, D.C. is safe. And you did that in four days!” But data from OpenTable tells a very different story: restaurant reservations have actually plummeted, with bookings down 27% on Tuesday, 31% on Wednesday, 29% on Thursday, 25% on Friday, 20% on Saturday, and 22% on Sunday compared to the same period last year.
Shawn Townsend, president and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, expressed his concern to WTOP, noting, “This is about supporting families who rely on these restaurants to pay their rent, to pay tuition, to send their kids to college. This is more about that, and I want to make it clear that our industry is resilient.” Townsend acknowledged that summer is typically slow for D.C. restaurants, but emphasized that this year’s drop is especially severe, even as crime statistics show improvement. “The business community, we have all been working diligently with MPD on bringing crime down due to the surge in 2023. Is our city perfect? Absolutely not. However, we have made great strides. Crime is down. Our city is safer because of the work that’s been put in,” he said.
In an effort to boost patronage, Townsend and the city’s restaurateurs are pinning hopes on Summer Restaurant Week, running August 18-24, with a record 380 establishments participating. He urged residents, “If you want to send a message to the administration and to the country, support your local restaurants this week, and for the next couple of weeks, while we have this increased presence of federal agents in our city — that’s the strongest way to send a message.”
But the atmosphere in D.C. is anything but festive. According to The Atlantic, the city now feels more like a military zone than the nation’s capital, with Humvees stationed at Union Station and National Guard troops from Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia joining D.C. National Guard units on the streets. The presence of out-of-state troops—many from Republican-governed states with higher crime rates than D.C.—has raised eyebrows, with the Associated Press noting, “It’s unclear why additional troops are needed.”
The deployment has not been without controversy. Federal agents have reportedly torn down political signs in liberal neighborhoods and refused to identify themselves during confrontations. While the Army initially stated that these troops would not be armed or make arrests, a spokesperson told NPR on August 18 that “Guard members may be armed consistent with their mission and training,” leaving many residents unsettled about the true purpose of the operation. “What exactly is their mission and training, though?” The Atlantic asked, highlighting the lack of a clear objective or end point for the occupation.
Despite the president’s rhetoric about “liberating” the city from crime, there has been no declared emergency or acute crisis to justify such drastic intervention. In fact, the city has not seen the kind of mass protests or unrest that typically prompt National Guard deployments. Instead, the stated mission remains vague, and the administration has not explained what success would look like—or when the federal presence might end. Critics argue that the move is more about political theater and power than public safety. As The Atlantic observed, “If the idea was to make residents feel safe, it isn’t working. If the idea was to intimidate them, however, it might be.”
Crime data itself is a battleground of competing narratives. Some point out that crime in D.C. is down sharply from two years ago and even more so from thirty years ago, while others note that the city’s murder rate remains high compared to other large cities. Still others question the accuracy of the available statistics altogether. What is clear is that federal officers are mostly not deployed in the city’s highest-crime neighborhoods, while immigration arrests have increased sharply since the takeover.
Legally, Trump’s authority stems from his control over the D.C. National Guard and emergency powers granted by the unique status of the District of Columbia. However, as The Atlantic reports, no emergency has been formally declared. Efforts by the administration to install an emergency police commissioner were met with a lawsuit from the city, forcing the White House to back down. Yet, Trump’s allies remain undeterred, with border czar Tom Homan asserting, “President Trump doesn’t have a limitation on his authority to make this country safe again. There’s no limitation on that.” Constitutional scholars and legal experts dispute this claim, noting that the president’s power to use federal troops domestically is strictly circumscribed.
Perhaps most troubling for many observers is the suggestion that D.C. could be just the beginning. Trump has openly mused about taking similar actions in other Democrat-run cities, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and St. Louis. “I think that this is an experiment that’s probably needed in a lot of the Democrat-run cities in America,” Representative James Comer, a Kentuckian close to the White House, said recently. The prospect of federal military occupation of American cities has alarmed civil libertarians and local leaders, who warn that such actions could erode the already fragile boundaries between civilian governance and military power.
Public reaction in Washington has been one of anxiety and resistance. While some residents and business owners hope the increased security will bring stability, many more are unsettled by the sight of armed troops and federal agents in their neighborhoods. The sharp decline in restaurant reservations is just one measure of the broader unease gripping the city. As The Atlantic put it, “With no stated goal, and with an acquiescent Congress and Supreme Court, the country could end up with the U.S. military occupying its major cities before most Americans realize what’s happening.”
In the coming days, all eyes will be on D.C. as Summer Restaurant Week unfolds against this tense backdrop. The city’s resilience will be tested—not just by its restaurateurs, but by its residents, officials, and the very fabric of its democracy.
