President Trump announced his decision to take control of the District of Columbia’s police and deploy the National Guard, a move he portrayed as a response to high crime rates in the nation’s capital. The move involved around 800 National Guard troops and was more expansive than many people expected, as the District’s status — short of full statehood — gives the president clear control of when the Guard is deployed. The decision to wrest control of Washington’s police, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), was a significantly larger step, and the fact that it came amid falling crime rates makes it even more controversial.
Democrats, liberals, and civil rights groups expressed angst over what they see as Trump’s penchant for gratuitous militarization. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said in a statement that Trump’s “ever-expanding use of the military for domestic matters is beyond alarming.” Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) accused Trump of being an incoherent wannabe dictator who is trying to turn D.C. into his personal police state.”
Another uncertainty hangs over what the president would characterize as success. In a social media post, he insisted that crime and “Savagery, Filth and Scum” would “DISAPPEAR” from D.C., presumeably he doesn’t consider literally zero crime to be an achievable goal.
