WASHINGTON — President Trump has ordered a federal takeover of the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, a move that local officials are calling an unconstitutional power grab. The president, who also authorized the deployment of the National Guard, said the city’s crime rate and homelessness crisis have created a “public safety emergency.”
The executive order cites a need for swift action to restore order in the nation’s capital. In a statement to the press, the White House said the president is committed to “liberating” the city from what he claims is an out-of-control crime wave.
However, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has strongly refuted the president’s claims. Her office released a statement showing that violent crime is down by 26% year-over-year. The mayor called the president’s characterization of the city as “hyperbolic and false” and accused the administration of using the issue for political gain. The move has ignited a constitutional debate over federal authority versus local home rule.
