In a move that has sent shockwaves through the nation’s capital and far beyond, President Donald Trump has asserted unprecedented federal control over Washington, D.C.’s police force, deploying National Guard troops and federal agents to patrol the city. The takeover, which began on August 11, 2025, was triggered by a public safety emergency declaration following a violent attempted carjacking just days earlier. As the dust settles, legal challenges and political maneuvering are intensifying, with the fate of D.C.’s autonomy hanging in the balance.
The seeds of this extraordinary situation were sown on August 3, when a former Department of Government Efficiency employee was badly beaten during an attempted carjacking in the District. In response, President Trump invoked section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, a rarely used provision that allows the president to take command of the city’s police department for up to 30 days in an emergency. According to NBC affiliate WSMV, Trump announced the activation of 800 National Guard members, stating his aim was to reduce crime in what he called “the most unsafe city in the United States” just days prior.
But the president’s actions have been met with skepticism and resistance at every turn. D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto countered Trump’s narrative, noting that the city was actually experiencing a 30-year low in crime. She revealed that an additional 1,000 National Guard troops were being deployed from states including West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Mississippi, with some likely to be armed. Pinto’s remarks, reported by WSMV, painted a picture of a city under siege by its own federal government, rather than by crime.
President Trump, however, doubled down on his claims, accusing city officials of falsifying crime statistics to create an “illusion of safety.” He asserted, “They are under serious investigation for doing so,” casting further doubt on the city’s leadership and motives. These accusations have only deepened the rift between local and federal authorities, as the president’s critics see his actions as a power grab rather than a genuine effort to protect residents.
The legal underpinnings of Trump’s takeover rest on the Home Rule Act, signed in 1973 by President Richard Nixon, which grants the president emergency powers over D.C.’s police for a maximum of 30 days. After that, Congress must pass a joint resolution to extend federal control. According to PolitiFact, Trump has hinted that he might declare a broader national emergency to bypass these statutory limits, stating at an August 13 press briefing, “I don’t want to call a national emergency. If I have to, I will. But I think the Republicans in Congress will approve this pretty much unanimously.” He added, “Well, if it’s a national emergency, we can do it without Congress.”
Legal experts, however, say otherwise. Elizabeth Goitein, senior director at the Brennan Center for Justice, told PolitiFact, “None of those provisions authorizes the president to bypass the 30-day limit on requisitioning the services of the (Metropolitan Police Department).” Columbia Law School professor Richard Briffault was even more blunt: “The statute’s pretty clear that it’s 30 days and out, unless Congress renews.” John P. Fishwick, former U.S. attorney for Virginia’s Western District, agreed, stating, “As I read the Home Rule Act, (Trump) has to get permission from Congress.”
The White House, when pressed for clarification by PolitiFact, did not specify what authority would allow Trump to extend his control without congressional approval. Meanwhile, the legal battle has already begun. On August 14, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Terry Cole, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, would serve as D.C.’s emergency police commissioner. Just hours later, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed suit against the Trump Administration for overstepping executive powers, as reported by The Washington Post.
On the ground, the situation has grown increasingly tense. On August 15, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser and Attorney General Schwalb emerged from federal court insisting the city’s police chief remained in charge, even as Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller was seen entering police headquarters to oversee the department now under federal command. Federal officers have begun detaining and tackling suspects, including a moped driver, as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown, according to The Washington Post’s live coverage of the unfolding events.
The deployment of federal force hasn’t just been limited to D.C. Trump has hinted at similar actions in other cities, raising concerns about the potential for broader federal intervention in local law enforcement nationwide. Immigration raids continue across the country, new tariffs are rattling industries, and political battles over redistricting in Texas and California are intensifying, as highlighted by The Guardian US and Politico.
Efforts to extend federal control in Washington, D.C., are already underway in Congress. On August 13, Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee introduced legislation to rewrite the Home Rule Act, giving the president the authority to prolong federal control without congressional approval. However, passing such a measure would require a 60-vote majority in the Senate, where Republicans hold only 53 seats. Even if the legislation were to pass, rewriting an entire act is a lengthy process—far longer than the 30 days permitted by current law.
The specter of repealing home rule entirely has also been raised, which would place Washington, D.C., under permanent federal control for the first time since 1874. The last time this occurred, it was during fierce partisan disputes over voting rights for local Black and working-class white residents. According to The New York Times, Trump has voiced support for such a move, though it would be deeply unpopular among Washingtonians—he won less than 6.5% of the district’s vote in the 2024 presidential election.
As the 30-day deadline approaches, all eyes are on Congress to see whether federal control will be extended or if authority will revert back to the city. The stakes could not be higher. As John Fishwick put it to PolitiFact, “We have a number of laws that have been on the books for a long time that have had very few lawsuits over them… And that’s what we’re dealing with in D.C. But this is where President Trump’s power is the strongest, under this old law, the Home Rule Act.”
For now, Washington, D.C., remains a city in limbo—its streets patrolled by out-of-state troops, its police force under contested command, and its future autonomy hanging by a thread. The coming days will determine whether the capital’s experiment with federal takeover is a brief episode or the start of a new era in American governance.
