President Donald Trump is taking unprecedented action in Washington, D.C., and it’s already sparking major controversy.
The President of the United States announced on Monday (August 11) that he is taking control of the Metropolitan Police Department and deploying the National Guard to patrol the streets. He also said Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Justice Department will now oversee the city’s police force.
“Today we’re formally declaring a public safety emergency,” Trump said during a press conference, via People. “It’s embarrassing for me to be up here talking about how unsafe and how dirty and disgusting this once-beautiful capital was.”
Keep reading to find out more…
Trump said the National Guard will begin patrolling immediately and that other military forces could be deployed “if needed.” He has frequently cited homelessness and crime as reasons to “clean up” D.C., even though local data shows violent crime has dropped 26% in the past year. He claimed, without evidence, that crime statistics are being manipulated to hide the true numbers.
Ahead of the press conference, Trump insisted that homeless people would be pushed out of the city without specifying where they would go.
“The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote on social media. “We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong.”
The move comes as Trump signals interest in federalizing the D.C. government, which could strip the city of its current self-governance under the D.C. Home Rule Act.
Find out which actor has just joined ICE.