An attempted carjacking that injured a DOGE staff member in Washington, D.C., prompted President Trump to once again push for a federal takeover of the city’s government.
“If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City,” Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social post. “I am going to exert my powers, and FEDERALIZE this City.”
The episode reignited Mr. Trump’s long-running call to take control of the city, citing violent crime and what he described as incompetent leadership. He made the case in February and July of this year, as well as on the campaign trail.
“We have to run D.C.,” Mr. Trump said Wednesday. “This has to be the best run place in the country, not the worst.”
However, the president alone does not have the authority to federalize the district. It would require an act of Congress to overturn the 1973 Home Rule Act, which gave D.C. residents the power to elect the council members and mayor who pass and implement their local laws.
Congress retains the authority to amend or block D.C. laws, and did so in 2023 when it nullified a crime bill that would have eliminated most mandatory minimum sentences.
Before the Home Rule Act, the president could appoint D.C. leaders. Some Republican members of Congress have introduced legislation that could restore that power, but any repeal would require the support of Senate Democrats, which is unlikely.
Mr. Trump also floated other options on Wednesday, including taking over the D.C. police or bringing in the National Guard.
Under the Home Rule Act, the president can take over D.C.’s police department for a period of time if “special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the Metropolitan Police force for Federal purposes.” But legal experts have said such a move could face court challenges without clear justification.
Mr. Trump also commands the D.C. National Guard — the only unit of all 54 states and territories which reports only to the president.
Crime is down in the capital
Mr. Trump continues to cite public safety to justify intervention, calling crime in the district “totally out of control.”
“And what a shame, the rate of crime, the rate of muggings, killings and everything else,” Mr. Trump said Wednesday.
Data from the D.C. police shows there have been 186 carjacking incidents so far this year, but that’s down 37% from this time in 2024.
Violent crime has also been declining for the last year and a half after spiking in 2023, when the nation’s capitol was among the deadliest of the large metro areas in the country.
So far in 2025, robberies have dropped by 29%, homicides are down 12%, and overall violent crime is down 26% as of Aug. 6. That follows declines in 2024, when violent crime in D.C. hit a 30-year low, mirroring a broader nationwide drop in violent crime last year.
Crime is not the only local issue Mr. Trump took issue with on Wednesday. The president also said he wanted to improve the “cleanliness” of the district.
This comes after the president signed an executive order in March, establishing a task force to address what the administration called “quality of life” issues in D.C., including homelessness and graffiti.
Trump’s history with D.C. officials
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has not commented on Mr. Trump’s latest remarks. During his first term, the president clashed with the Democratic mayor over the handling of protests and public safety.
In 2020, Bowser ordered the painting of a Black Lives Matter mural on a street a few blocks from the White House, as Mr. Trump faced backlash for his response to protests over the murder of George Floyd by police. Earlier this year, Bowser approved plans to remove the mural.
Mayor Bowser and other Democrats have long pushed for statehood to give D.C.’s 700,000 residents congressional representation — something that would require legislative and presidential approval. Efforts to make D.C. the 51st state have faced Republican opposition and failed in Congress.
For decades, D.C. has overwhelmingly voted for Democrats in presidential elections, including in the 2024 election when over 90% of voters there supported Vice President Kamala Harris over Mr. Trump.
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