In a move that surprised exactly no one, President Trump asserted control over the Washington DC police, and ordered in National Guard troops to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital.
Update
Corporate media is taking trigglypuff illiteracy to new levels in the reactions to Trump’s DC takeover. Chris Lehman's lede paragraph in The Nation is simply dishonest about the legal foundations of the move.
Washington, DC, already lacks representation in Congress, has no control over its own budget, and cannot pass laws free from congressional interference. Now, under the Trump administration, the city is moving toward bantustan status. By invoking bogus emergency powers under the DC Home Rule Act, President Donald Trump has effectively federalized law enforcement within the district, delegating supervision of DC Metro police to Attorney General Pam Bondi and authorizing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to mobilize National Guard troops in Washington. Drug Enforcement Agency head Terry Cole will have operational control over Washington’s Metro Police Department as its interim federal commissioner
Congressional control over Washington DC is explicitly mandated by the Constitution as one of Congress’ enumerated powers.
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards and other needful Buildings
Section 740 of the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act is hardly “bogus” but is explicit authority delegated by Congress to the Executive Branch.
Whether Congressional control over the nation’s capital or Congressional delegation of emergency powers is either good policy or good law is irrelevant. It is the law and anyone with even a passing familiarity with US law should know this.
Should the Democrats use the takeover as a talking point to campaign for an amendment to the Constitution making DC eligible for shareholders, or revising Section 740? That certainly is a possibility. “Home Rule” is an important political question for every polity, and it is a question for DC residents also. Arguing for changes in the law would be a concrete policy stance, and that is something the Democrats desperately need.
What no one needs is dishonest and frankly ignorant commentary saying Trump’s DC takeover is illegitimate or illegal. It may prove to be an unwise move, but it is both legal and legitimate. Corporate media has no excuse for not knowing this.
Starting Point
I determine that special conditions of an emergency nature exist that require the use of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (Metropolitan Police force) for Federal purposes, including maintaining law and order in the Nation’s seat of Government; protecting Federal buildings, national monuments, and other Federal property; and ensuring conditions necessary for the orderly functioning of the Federal Government. Effective immediately, the Mayor of the District of Columbia (Mayor) shall provide the services of the Metropolitan Police force for Federal purposes for the maximum period permitted under section 740 of the Home Rule Act.
Trump’s DC takeover was a foregone conclusion the moment DOGE team member Edward Coristine—the infamous “Big Balls” who generated a bit of cancel culture controversy earlier this year—was brutally beaten while defending his girlfriend from a “pack of youths”.
(Side note: tip of the hat to Edward Coristine, who demonstrated that his moniker is indeed well deserved. He did what men should do—put himself between his loved one and danger.)
After Coristine’s savage beating, Donald Trump lost no time in taking to Truth Social to draw a Trumpian red line that crime in DC will not be tolerated.
Trump punctuated his message by including a photo of a bloodied Edward Coristine, which I am not including here.
Nor is what happened to Coristine the only catalyst. It was just over two weeks ago that President Trump issued an Executive Order targeting homelessness across the nation.
For her part, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser struck the usual Democrat pose of “there’s nothing wrong here, Trump’s a liar, orange man bad blah blah blah,” calling Trump’s takeover “unsettling and unprecedented.” She is half right—Trump is the first President to invoke Section 740 of the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act1 to federalize law enforcement in the nation’s capital.
Is the takeover “unsettling”? To Democrats and progressives, anything Trump does is unsettling. To the rest of America, and to the MAGA Coalition in particular, most of what Trump does evokes a sense of “it’s about damn time.” Speaking for myself, having seen the images of what happened to Edward Coristine, I am largely in the “it’s about damn time” camp.
Certainly DC Police Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton is in the “it’s about damn time.” camp, going on Fox News to openly support President Trump’s actions.
Perversely, Muriel Bowser completely miffed a golden opportunity to seize a narrative from Donald Trump. She could have called for Federal assistance in the wake of the attack on Coristine, either blaming the DC police for not doing their jobs or somehow making the situation Trump’s fault and demanding he clean up the mess. It is a testament to the terminal nature of Trump Derangement Syndrome that “resistance” to all things Trump precludes that sort of tactical political thinking.
For the Democrats, Bowser’s mis-steps in this are likely to be significant, because DC is the one city in the country where Donald Trump can easily take direct action, thanks to Section 740. The nation will soon be able to see how well—or how not well—Trump’s approach to law and order works.
If Trump is seen as at all successful in combating crime in Washington DC, it will put pressure on governors and mayors to take a similarly firm stance—and on Democrat governors and mayors in particular. Crime, like employment, inflation, and wages, is an issue that cuts sharply across partisan boundaries. Everyone wants to live in a neighborhood which has less crime, or even no crime.
A successful anti-crime crackdown in DC by President Trump will be powerful rebuke to state and local Democrats nationwide. If Trump can solve crime issues, why can’t Democrats?
Far more problematic, however, is the impact these events will have on the homeless population in the nation’s capital.
President Trump has made it clear he wants the homeless to leave Washington DC.
The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital.
In typical Trump fashion, however, he said the criminals could stay—he plans to throw them in jail.
The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong.
We should note that President Trump is not the first elected official to address the nation’s homeless crisis. Last spring Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a measure banning sleeping and unauthorized camping in public spaces.
The reservations and concerns which surrounded the Florida measure are the same reservations and concerns people should have about President Trump’s Executive Order. They are the same reservations and concerns which made California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order banning homeless encampments last summer unrealistic and unwise.
Will President Trump’s DC takeover improve the plight of Washington’s homeless? Will Trump end up making things worse? Will the law enforcement aspects be matched by committing the mental health and other resources necessary to help the homeless back onto their feet and back into society?
At present, we do not know.
Nor do we know if Trump seeking to “ban” homeless from downtown Washington will only result in the homeless problem in surrounding municipalities getting even worse. Pushing the homeless out of the nation’s capital only to have them wind up in another city is not an actual solution in the aggregate.
It does not take any grand leap of logic to conclude that homelessness and crime are growing problems in this country. There is hardly an urban center anywhere in the US where the homeless population in not a growing concern. The conclusion that “something” should be done is difficult to ignore.
Whether President Trump’s law-and-order crackdown in Washington DC is that “something” remains to be seen.
I’m in the “it’s about time” camp.
Signed
A former democrat/progressive.
There is an interesting essay here on SS “Truth on the Streets” about solving the homeless issue near Portland. It wasn’t easy and involved community/city government commitment. Anyway, I agree with your thoughtful essay and I’m in the about time column!