The president claimed Washington, D.C., had become “one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world,” despite federal data indicating crime fell to historic lows.
Key Facts
According to the New York Times and the , the administration will pull 120 FBI agents, primarily from the agency’s Washington field office, from their regular duty and deploy them on night patrol duty with local law enforcement officers to tackle street crime.
A White House press conference on Monday will “essentially stop violent crime” in Washington, D.C., Trump wrote on Truth Social, claiming the city had become “one of the most dangerous” in the world.
Trump said the press conference would take place at 10 a.m. on Monday, and would focus on “ending the Crime, Murder, and Death in our Nation’s Capital.”
“The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social accompanied by images of a few tents and refuse scattered on the side of the road and the steps of a building, adding “we will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital.”
Trump said his plans in D.C. include also “beautification” efforts, and took the opportunity again to lambast the Federal Reserve for their yearslong headquarters renovation and ballooning budget of at least $2.5 billion on the project.
Trump has claimed in recent months that violent crime was rampant in Washington, D.C., and has threatened to deploy the National Guard and have the city be taken over by the federal government, writing earlier this week that if “D.C. doesn’t get its act together, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the city.”Violent Crime Fell To A 30-Year Low In D.c. Last Year—and Rates Are Lower In 2025
Violent crime rates in Washington, D.C., dropped 35% from 2023 to 2024, marking the lowest rates recorded in more than 30 years, according to the Justice Department. According to data released Aug. 8 by the Metropolitan Police Department, violent crime rates have continued to fall in 2025, with violent crime down 26% year-over-year. The MPD said homicide rates have dropped 12% on the year so far, sex abuse by 49%, assault with a dangerous weapon by 20% and robbery by 28%. Property crime rates have also fallen, including burglary (19%), theft from vehicles (4%) and other theft crimes (6%). However, Trump continued to insist Sunday that the crime numbers keep rising. “The Mayor of D.C., Muriel Bowser, is a good person who has tried, but she has been given many chances, and the Crime Numbers get worse, and the City only gets dirtier and less attractive,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
