Trump declares D.C. crime free after federal control
- President Trump announced a crime-free declaration for Washington, D.C., following 12 days of federal intervention.
- Federal efforts included deploying National Guard troops and reassignment of federal agents, leading to a significant number of arrests.
- Trump's collaboration with local officials resulted in enhanced public safety and increasing approval ratings for Mayor Bowser.
In August 2020, President Donald Trump announced the declaration of Washington, D.C. as a crime-free zone following a period of federal intervention. After invoking federal control over the Metropolitan Police Department due to a public safety emergency, Trump deployed approximately 800 National Guard troops to the city, along with reassigned federal agents from agencies such as ICE. The initiative was aimed at reducing crime rates that had seen concerning spikes in several categories, including robbery and assault. Preliminary data indicated a marked decrease in crime statistics, with reports of more than 700 arrests and considerable firearm seizures during this crackdown. As part of this strategy, Trump publicly acknowledged the collaboration and approval ratings of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, asserting that her partnership in efforts to reduce crime had positively impacted her popularity among residents. The President urged Democrat governors from various states with large cities suffering from high crime rates to work alongside federal authorities to achieve similar reductions, suggesting that rapid and substantial improvements could be realized through cooperative efforts. However, he criticized certain mayors for failing to act decisively against crime, labeling their responses as inadequate and emphasizing that many cities across the United States needed similar interventions. In contrast to the positive developments in D.C., Trump expressed concerns regarding cities such as Chicago, which he described as