High-profile shootings spark White House consideration of unprecedented move, potentially challenging DC’s home rule
President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the White House is actively considering a federal takeover of Washington, D.C., in a drastic measure to combat soaring crime rates in the nation’s capital. The President’s remarks, made during a cabinet meeting, follow a series of high-profile violent incidents, including the fatal shooting of a Capitol Hill intern last week.
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“We could run D.C. I mean, we’re looking at D.C.,” Trump stated during the meeting. “We’re thinking about doing it, to be honest with you. We want a capital that’s run flawlessly.”
The notion of federal intervention has gained traction after several highly publicized murders, notably the killing of congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym and two Israeli Embassy staff members in May. President Trump had previously addressed the issue on July 3, telling Daily Caller White House Correspondent Reagan Reese, “I think that D.C. has to become a very safe place, and we’re not going to let anything bad happen to D.C.”
According to Bloomberg, a federal takeover could involve either congressional action or potentially unilateral moves by the President, depending on the scope. Such a move would be a significant challenge to the 1973 Home Rule Act, which granted D.C. residents the right to elect their own mayor and city council, giving them greater control over local affairs.
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Overturning this act would require an act of Congress. However, reports from the Associated Press in February indicated that President Trump might pursue unilateral efforts, such as a takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The White House and Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office have not yet responded to requests for comment. However, Bloomberg reports that the Trump administration is in discussions with Mayor Bowser, with whom President Trump reportedly has a positive relationship, having collaborated on plans for a major football stadium in the city.
Washington, D.C., has become a stark outlier in violent crime statistics. The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department reports that crime levels only seven months into this year are nearing their 2024 totals. This surge follows a dramatic increase in shootings, homicides, and carjackings during the previous administration. Critics also point to a significant decline in criminal prosecution under Biden-appointed U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, who reportedly declined to prosecute two-thirds of arrests in 2022 and 56% in 2023.
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The prospect of federalization has been met with strong opposition from local leadership. D.C. Delegate to Congress Eleanor Holmes Norton vehemently called such efforts “anti-democratic” and “based on misinformation” in a statement released in February. “We have made significant progress in our historic march toward making D.C. the 51st state,” Norton asserted, “and President Trump’s comments, a continuation of the anti-democratic rhetoric from Republicans concerning the District of Columbia, despite their basis in falsehoods, is evidence of that progress.”
Norton also disputed claims of rising crime, referencing a January 2025 Department of Justice report that, she claims, stated violent crime in the city during 2024 decreased by 35% and had reached a 30-year low. The differing crime statistics present a significant point of contention as the debate over D.C.’s governance intensifies.
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