DC has ‘no power’ to demand National Guard withdrawal: DOJ
The Trump governance criticized Washington, D.C.’s city council for requesting the withdrawal of the National Guard, accusing them of politically motivated actions. The Department of Justice sent a stern letter stating the council has no authority to demand the removal of the military,asserting that the Guard’s deployment has contributed substantially to reducing violent crime in the city. The deployment began after President Trump declared a crime emergency and invoked federal powers to place the district under increased control, citing rising crime rates and police shortages. Over 4,600 military personnel remain stationed in D.C.,with over 16,000 arrests made during the campaign. Officials highlight that the presence of the National Guard has been instrumental in decreasing violence, rescuing missing children, and providing medical aid. Critics argue that the move overstepped executive authority, transforming the district into a police state, while supporters contend it was necessary to address critical safety issues. the debate continues over the legality and impact of federal intervention in local police matters.
The Trump administration on Wednesday slammed Washington, D.C.‘s council members for seeking to end the National Guard‘s mobilization in the district, accusing them of making “politically motivated demands.”
The Department of Justice said the Council of the District of Columbia sent letters to 10 governors whose National Guard members are deployed to the capital, requesting that they remove the military from the city. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald wrote a scathing letter to the council, accusing them of ignoring historic drops in crime he said the National Guard deployment triggered, and saying that the panel holds “no power” to demand their removal.
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“You should withdraw your letters and dedicate your remaining time in public service to correcting D.C. laws to ensure criminals are punished, and the public is protected, not the other way around,” he said. “Directly coinciding with the assistance of the National Guard, the murder rate dropped substantially. To date, D.C. has seen the largest reduction in violent crime in the history of the city. You might pretend violent crime isn’t down in D.C. or act like the cause is unknown, but the public knows the city is safer.”
The battle over whether President Donald Trump abused his powers in federalizing the district began last summer, when he declared a crime emergency in Washington. On Aug. 11, 2025, the president invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which he said allowed him to deploy the National Guard and place the Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control due to “special conditions of an emergency nature.”
Critics said the move turned the district into a police state and marked an overreach of executive powers. Proponents said the change was warranted due to crime in the district that had surged and to cope with the district’s shrinking police department. The MPD is short around 900 officers of the 4,000 needed, marking a 50-year low.
Despite the controversy, the National Guard’s deployment to Washington has continued, with the military presence set to continue until the end of Trump’s second term in January 2029. As of Aug. 4, more than 4,600 military personnel from around two dozen states are deployed in the district. The White House said Monday that over 16,000 arrests have been made in the district due to Trump’s anti-crime campaign in the city.
McDonald said Wednesday that the military presence had helped improve public safety, after “violence became an epidemic in D.C., with residents and visitors facing almost unbelievable homicide rates.”
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“Murder became commonplace and tragically expected. At the same time, carjackings and other violent crimes also skyrocketed in D.C., and there is substantial reason to believe that crime was being undercounted,” he wrote, referencing an investigation into concerns top MPD officials manipulated crime statistics to paint the department in a better light.
“Thanks to courageous and steadfast support from National Guard units, task force members have conducted 1000s of arrests, located lost and missing children, and taken substantial numbers of illegal firearms off the city streets,” the letter continued. “The National Guard has personally intervened in numerous assaults and provided medical aid on innumerable occasions, including repeatedly administering life-saving Narcan to citizens in peril.”
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