Trump vows to keep federal forces in Washington despite criticism
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- 22.08.2025
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Trump vows to keep federal forces in Washington despite criticism
reiterated his plan to keep a reinforced federal presence in the nation’s capital, framing the deployment as a sustained
public-safety campaign and signaling the approach could be replicated in other U.S. cities. “We’re going to make it safe,
and we’re going to stay here for a while,” he said during brief remarks outside the Anacostia operations site, flanked by
Park Police officers, other federal agents and National Guard personnel.
The appearance capped a week of intensified federal activity in Washington after Trump ordered hundreds of Guard members
to support local and federal law-enforcement agencies. He has cast the move as taking the capital “back” amid what he calls
a crime emergency, even as city officials note that reported violent offenses have fallen from 2023 peaks.
‘Staying for a while’ and perhaps going elsewhere
From a lectern positioned in front of parked patrol vehicles, Trump praised officers and Guard members and hinted that
similar federal interventions could follow in cities he says are “struggling with lawlessness.” He added that the aim in
Washington is to make the city “absolutely perfect” before moving on to “other places,” though he did not specify which
jurisdictions might be next.
The President had earlier suggested he might personally patrol the streets alongside officers — a claim that energized supporters
and drew derision from critics. In the end, he delivered a short speech, posed for photos and handed out food to personnel,
before returning to the White House.
‘I know more about grass than any human being’
In a moment that ricocheted across social media, Trump said he intends to “fix up” Washington’s parks, quipping,
“I’m very good at grass… I know more about grass than any human being,” a line he attributed to decades owning golf courses.
The President also drew comparisons to elite course standards as he promised aesthetic upgrades alongside public safety measures.
including the National Mall and several large parks and frequently support multi-agency operations during protests and
special events. The agency’s Anacostia base has served as a staging area during high-profile deployments.
Federal-local friction over crime trends
The deployment has quickly become a flashpoint between the White House and D.C. leadership. Trump wrote online that Washington
had seen “no murders this week,” using the claim to jab at Mayor Muriel Bowser and threaten a “complete and total
Federal takeover” if she didn’t stop sharing “false” crime figures. Bowser’s office, for its part, points to data showing
violent crime on a year-over-year decline and says the District remains on pace for the lowest violent-crime totals in decades,
crediting long-term, locally led policing strategies.
Police data in Washington did show major declines from 2023 to 2024 after a post-pandemic surge, although trends can vary by category
and neighborhood. The dispute highlights a central tension of the moment: whether the federal push is addressing a deteriorating
emergency or layering politics and optics onto an improving, but still uneven, safety picture.
How the deployment works
- National Guard role: “Presence patrols,” perimeter control, support to law enforcement and crowd management, according to official statements shared on agency accounts.
- Duration: The White House previewed at least a week of elevated federal presence, with Trump later saying forces would remain “for a while.”
- Police control: The administration asserted emergency authority over the Metropolitan Police Department earlier this month; any longer-term arrangement would likely require congressional action.
Where forces are visible
- Tourist corridors, including the National Mall and major monuments.
- Transit nodes and entertainment areas, among them Union Station and the baseball stadium district.
- Selected neighborhoods flagged for saturation patrols; the specific locations shift nightly.
Protests, praise — and the ‘sandwich guy’ meme
Reaction in the overwhelmingly Democratic city has been mixed. Some residents say an expanded police footprint is overdue in areas
hit by carjackings and robberies. Others call the show of force unnecessary or misdirected, arguing that
highly visible downtown patrols leave the hardest-hit neighborhoods unchanged. The deployment has also generated
viral moments, including the arrest of a man filmed throwing a sandwich at an agent — a scene that spawned Banksy-style
“sandwich guy” posters across parts of the city. (Officials said they would not comment on open cases.)
Vice President JD Vance encountered a wall of boos and chants of “Free D.C.” during a stop with
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House aide Stephen Miller to greet Guard members
at Union Station; Vance brushed off the jeers as the work of “crazy protesters.” The moment, captured by wire photographers
and shared widely online, underscored the polarizing nature of the operation.
What Trump says the surge is delivering
Trump and his aides have argued that the extra federal muscle is making streets safer and sending a message that
lawbreaking will be met with swift consequences. In speeches and interviews over the past week, he has promised
to make Washington “crime-free,” pledged upgrades to parks and public spaces, and held up nightly arrest
totals as proof the approach is working.
On Thursday, he distributed pizzas and hamburgers to assembled officers and Guard members and thanked them for what he described
as “historic” cooperation across agencies from the Park Police and Secret Service to Homeland Security units and the Guard.
Critics warn of mission creep and local control risks
Legal scholars and D.C. autonomy advocates warn that continued federal control over local policing risks becoming
a template for expanded White House authority, particularly in jurisdictions where local leaders oppose administration policy.
Some members of Congress have floated oversight hearings; others propose a resolution that would formalize the
administration’s powers for a limited period, with reporting requirements and a sunset clause.
City officials stress that public safety gains need durable investments in investigations, prosecution, prevention and
community partnerships — not just surges in uniformed presence. They also note that while “incident counts” grab headlines,
long-term progress depends on case closures and reductions in repeat offending.
How we got here
The District, like many U.S. cities, saw a post-pandemic spike in violent crime that crested in 2023 before receding in 2024.
As 2025 opened, several categories continued trending lower, albeit unevenly by neighborhood. The White House nevertheless
declared a public safety emergency this month, asserting temporary authority over the Metropolitan Police Department and
authorizing the National Guard deployment — actions that accelerated an existing federal-local debate over crime, prosecutorial
policy and the District’s unique constitutional status.
The optics have been unmistakable: Guard patrols near museums and monuments, a lattice of marked and unmarked vehicles idling
around the Mall, and cabinet-level visits to cheer on personnel. On Wednesday, Vance, Hegseth and Miller purchased burgers
at a Union Station fast-food spot for Guard members as protesters shouted. On Thursday, the President made his own
food-focused thank-you stop after teasing a joint patrol he ultimately did not conduct.
suggests a longer horizon. Extending federal control of the city’s police beyond emergency windows would likely require
congressional assent — a politically charged step that would sharpen the debate over local home rule versus federal
stewardship of the capital.
In the near term, federal and local agencies will be judged on more than patrol counts: clearance rates in serious cases,
the pace of court backlogs, community trust metrics and whether high-visibility deployments correspond with durable
reductions in the small number of people responsible for a large share of violent crime.
“We’re going to make it safe… we’re going to stay here for a while. We want to make this absolutely perfect.” President Donald Trump,
speaking at the U.S. Park Police’s Anacostia facility.
“Let’s free Washington, D.C., so that young families can feel safe and secure.” Vice President JD Vance, responding to
“Free D.C.” chants at Union Station.
“One of the things we’re going to be redoing is your parks… I know more about grass than any human being.” President Trump,
on planned park upgrades.
“Violent crime has been falling that is a local success built on years of work.” D.C. leadership’s rebuttal to the
federal emergency framing.
Voices from the city
Supporters of the surge say:
- Visible patrols deter opportunistic crime in high-traffic areas.
- Federal partners bring resources for large-scale events and hotspots.
- Short-term saturation can stabilize neighborhoods experiencing flare-ups.
- Public-safety gains are fragile without sustained investigative resources.
- Downtown optics don’t necessarily shift violence patterns elsewhere.
- Emergency control over local police erodes D.C. self-government.
