'This is liberation day in D.C., and we're going to take our capital back. We're taking it back,' says US president
US President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is placing local police in the nation's capital under federal control, and said he is deploying the National Guard to address what he called a "public safety emergency."
Trump claimed that Washington, D.C. "has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people, and we're not going to let it happen anymore."
"This is liberation day in D.C., and we're going to take our capital back. We're taking it back," Trump said, adding that he is placing the Metropolitan Police Department "under direct federal control."
"I'm deploying the National Guard to help re-establish law and order and public safety in Washington, D.C., and they're going to be allowed to do their job properly," he added.
The president's allegations of soaring crime in the nation's capital are at stark odds with the city's official crime data, however.
D.C. police reported a 26% decrease in violent crime overall compared to the same point in 2024. There has been a further 7% decrease in property crimes, such as burglary and theft.
Trump alleged that these figures are "phony."
