Trump Deploys National Guard to Combat Crime in Washington DC

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump has decided to place the Washington police department under federal control and ordered the National Guard to be deployed to the nation's capital to combat what he calls a surge in lawlessness.

This action comes despite statistics showing violent crime reaching a 30-year low in 2024.

"I am deploying the National Guard to help restore law, order, and public safety to Washington, D.C.," Trump told reporters at the White House, flanked by government officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi, as reported by Reuters on Monday, August 11.

"Our capital has been overrun by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals," he continued.

Trump's announcement is his latest attempt to target Democratic-controlled cities by using executive power over local affairs.

Trump has dismissed criticism that he is creating a crisis to justify expanding presidential authority.

Hundreds of officers and agents from more than a dozen federal agencies, including the FBI, ICE, DEA, and ATF, have been deployed across the city in recent days.

Democratic Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser disputed Trump's claims, saying the city has not experienced a spike in crime.

Bowser highlighted that violent crime reached its lowest level in more than three decades last year.