On August 8, 2025, Donald Trump signed a memorandum directing the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense to “coordinate and reinforce law enforcement presence” in the District of Columbia.

By August 12, armored DHS units and federal police were stationed around federal buildings, and National Guard vehicles were seen patrolling areas near the White House and Capitol Hill.

The directive invoked DC’s status as a federal district, which allows the president to bypass local consent in deploying certain federal resources under the Home Rule Act of 1973 and related statutes, including 10 U.S. Code §§ 331–334.

No public request for assistance had been issued by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, and no emergency order had been declared by city officials.

The an

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