Federal Takeover of the Nation’s Capital Is Unjustified and Unacceptable

Washington, D.C. — Today, President Donald Trump announced unprecedented actions to exert federal authority over Washington, D.C., federalizing local police and deploying the National Guard — despite declining crime rates. In response to this power grab, David Janovsky, acting director of The Constitution Project at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), issued the following statement:

“President Trump continues to distort the reality of life in our nation’s cities to justify federal overreach. First he overstepped in Los Angeles, and now we see it happening in D.C. Our service members should not be used for political stunts, and our cities should not be turned into police states.

“By placing D.C.’s police under federal control, the administration is exploiting federal law meant only for incredibly rare circumstances. This is not one. Contrary to the administration’s rhetoric, the nation’s capital is not in a state of emergency. In fact, statistics show violent crime in the district has fallen every year since 2023.

“The administration’s plans to deploy the National Guard to Washington, D.C. is an unnecessary escalation. It inappropriately blurs the lines between civilian policing and military force. We turn to our troops to fight for our nation in wars or help our communities after natural disasters — not police us in our own neighborhoods.

“Congress has the power and the responsibility to end this power grab immediately. While federal law does give presidents more authority over the National Guard in D.C. than in any other state, that is not permission to use the Guard as a personal force for political gain. This stunt cannot be tolerated in a free country.