“Washington’s Complex” – Trump’s Drastic Measures to Control the Capital
Many Americans attribute the actions taken by President Donald Trump in the nation’s capital to his awareness of his declining popularity there, noting that it is one of the lowest-voting areas for him across the three elections he has contested.
The U.S. Constitution grants Congress full authority over the capital, giving it a unique form of self-governance. The city, with a population of around 700,000 people, lacks politically significant representation at the federal level.
The capital does not have elected members with voting rights in either the House of Representatives or the Senate; it only has a local legislative council and an elected mayor, while Congress maintains control over its budget and financial allocations.
Washington participates in the selection of the U.S. president, holding three votes in the Electoral College, which totals 535, similar to smaller states by population.
Without Its Votes
During the elections of 2016, 2020, and 2024, Trump performed poorly in Washington, with results as follows:
In the 2016 election, Trump received a total of 13,000 votes from Washington voters, amounting to 4.1%, while his opponent Hillary Clinton garnered 283,000 votes, or 91%.
In 2020, Trump obtained 19,000 votes in Washington, a mere 5.4%, compared to the winner Joe Biden, who received 317,000 votes at 92%.
In the 2024 election, Trump increased his count to 21,000 votes, representing 6.7%, while his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris received 294,000 votes, or 90% of the capital’s votes.
These percentages are remarkably low; Tucker Cook, a Washington resident and real estate agent, describes them as “humiliating.”
Cook stated to Al Jazeera, “Given the mutual hatred between Trump and the residents of Washington, he can justify what he is doing against us all and against our freedom. Just realize that in the most anti-Trump states like Hawaii, Maryland, or California, he received over a third of the votes there. But Washington, D.C. is an exception to the degree of its rejection of Trump.”
Drastic Measures
Trump’s heavy focus on crime appears exaggerated and politically motivated, particularly as he targets other cities in states controlled by Democrats, such as Baltimore in Maryland or Chicago in Illinois.
Despite crime rates in certain areas of Washington, recent data from the FBI indicates a significant decline in crime rates over the past months compared to a year ago.
With accusations of mismanagement of the city from its Democratic-led council and mayor, especially regarding crime control and public service quality, and with a Republican majority in both chambers of Congress, President Trump opted to exercise his presidential powers in a manner unprecedented for a previous president. He sent National Guard soldiers into its streets, took control of its police, and placed the city under a special state of emergency.
Trump enacted harsh measures against the city, chief among which are:
Federal Takeover of the Capital’s Police:
Trump invoked Section 740 of the Home Rule Act of 1973, allowing the president to use the Metropolitan Police Department for federal purposes during emergencies. He exploited this, citing an incident where a former employee was injured during a failed car theft attempt.
Deployment of Armed National Guard:
The National Guard was deployed in the capital along with federal law enforcement agencies to address the declared emergency regarding crime and to “secure the city from criminals, vagrants, and lawbreakers.”
Ending “Cashless Bail”:
Some of Trump’s executive orders targeted “cashless bail” policies in the capital, halting the release of dangerous defendants pre-trial without cash, a practice contributing to the reoffending of released suspects.
Expansion of Federal Resources:
Additional presidential orders were issued to hire more U.S. park police officers and federal prosecutors for Washington, D.C., and a task force called “Safe and Beautiful Task Force” was established to enforce public safety and beautify the capital.
Federal Control of the Main Train Station (Union Station): Trump issued an executive order for the federal government to manage the historic train station at the heart of Washington, D.C.
Currently, there are 2,290 National Guard personnel assigned to the mission, including 1,340 from other states.
A statement from the Washington National Guard noted, “In partnership with local law enforcement authorities, car theft rates have decreased by 37%, burglaries by 50%, and violent crimes by 23%.”
Presidential Authority
The 1973 Home Rule Act allows the president to lead the National Guard in the capital and to use local police for federal purposes during emergencies, but only for up to 30 days without Congressional approval.
The law allowed Trump to declare a “state of emergency due to rising crime rates,” ending his control over the capital on September 10 unless Congress extends this right for him.
Trump told reporters days ago, “We will take swift and strong control of Washington’s police, but we want an extension from Congress,” prompting many Washington residents to wonder, “How long can Trump’s takeover of law enforcement in their city last?”
There is no clear answer to this question, given the absence of similar historical precedents; no president has ever controlled Washington’s police.
Although there are no clear timelines on the president’s deployment of the National Guard in the capital, past deployments can be observed, including events in 1968 regarding civil rights movement protests, or the 2020 demonstrations related to the protests over George Floyd’s death.
