Protesters in Washington, DC, have condemned President Donald Trump’s sweeping federal policing takeover, calling it an ‘invasion’ as the city experiences an unprecedented drop in crime. Despite the administration’s aggressive stance, demonstrators argue that the response has crossed into dangerous territory, with one woman describing the presence of National Guard troops as ‘sending them against actual Americans with weapons.’
The federal government’s intervention, which includes the National Guard, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has resulted in 719 arrests and 91 illegal guns seized in the past week. The Washington, DC Police Union has acknowledged that crime has plummeted, with no homicides reported in the city for the first time in recent history. ‘Washington, D.C. is SAFE AGAIN!’ President Trump declared on Friday, boasting that the administration has taken the city back from what he claimed was Mayor Muriel Bowser’s ‘false and highly inaccurate crime figures.’
However, the move has faced fierce opposition from critics who argue that the use of military forces in domestic affairs is a departure from the country’s principles. One protester stated, ‘It’s their time away from their family. The money being wasted to make a point is really sort of disgraceful and un-American.’ Others have suggested that the administration is making an emergency of a non-crisis, with one man noting, ‘We are making an emergency out of something that wasn’t an emergency.’
Attorney General Pam Bondi, a key architect of the federal intervention, has praised the results, claiming, ‘Thank you President Trump for your unwavering support to make DC safe again.’ Bondi’s office reported 719 arrests and 91 illegal guns seized since the takeover began. However, the administration’s assertion that the city is now ‘safe’ has drawn skepticism from both the public and local officials, with many questioning the long-term implications of such a heavy-handed approach.
President Trump has also hinted at further action, with a Truth Social post on Friday warning that Mayor Muriel Bowser should ‘stop giving false and highly inaccurate crime figures, or bad things will happen, including a complete and total Federal takeover of the City.’ His comments have raised concerns about the continued militarization of law enforcement and the potential for escalating tensions between federal authorities and local governance in the nation’s capital.