President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will deploy hundreds of D.C. National Guard troops to the streets of Washington, D.C. This initiative aims to address violent crime, despite local police data indicating a significant decrease in such incidents this year.

In addition to the troop deployment, Trump is seeking to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department. This would place the local agency under the direct control of federal officials who report to the president.

During a press conference at the White House, Trump characterized the capital as a "crime-infested hellscape" that necessitates a strong federal response. He referred to the criminals as "bloodthirsty" and described the situation as requiring urgent action. "This is liberation day in D.C. and we're going to take our capital back," Trump stated. He called the deployment a "historic action to rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, squalor and worse."

This announcement comes at a time when local crime-fighting efforts appear to be yielding positive results. According to D.C. Police statistics, violent crime has decreased by approximately 26 percent year-to-date compared to the same period in 2024. Notably, there have been significant reductions in sexual abuse, robbery, and assaults involving dangerous weapons.

So far this year, there have been about 1,600 reported violent incidents, a drop from 2,140 during the same timeframe in 2024. The population of Washington, D.C. is roughly 700,000.

The year 2024 was not particularly severe in terms of crime, as the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. reported that violent crime reached a 30-year low, falling about 35 percent compared to 2023. This decline followed targeted efforts by local police to address criminal groups operating in specific areas of the city.