US President Donald Trump said on Monday he was putting Washington’s police department under federal control and ordering the National Guard to deploy to the nation’s capital to combat what he described as a wave of lawlessness, despite statistics showing violent crime hit a 30-year low in 2024.

“I’m deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, D C.,” Trump told reporters at the White House, flanked by administration officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals.”

Trump’s announcement marks his latest effort to target Democratic cities by exercising executive power over traditionally local matters. He has dismissed criticism

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