Background

On Tuesday, July 12th, at the orders of President Trump, 800 National Guard troops were deployed to Washington, D.C. This comes after Trump announced on Monday that he intended to use the National Guard to take over the D.C. police force for the next 30 days in response to what the White House deemed a crime “emergency.” At a press conference, Trump stated,“I’m announcing a historic action to rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse,” claiming the city had been “taken over by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals” and “drugged out maniacs and homeless people.” Figures suggest that violent crime in the city is hitting its lowest levels in 30 years. 

As of August 13th, Federal authorities have made 66 arrests in the city, and federal agents have begun entering homeless encampments in response to Trump’s orders that individuals in these encampments must “move out IMMEDIATELY.” 

What is the Home Rule Act?

Trump is using the Home Rule Act to justify his use of the National Guard in D.C. The Home Rule Act is a 1973 law that sets up basic rules for how the city operates, and elects local public officials. The law contains one provision, Section 740, that entitles the president to utilize “such services of the Metropolitan Police Force as the President may deem necessary and appropriate” should the president “determine that special conditions of an emergency nature exist.” To extend these powers for longer than 48 hours, according to the Act, Trump must provide an explanation of his reasons for exercising this power to Congress—to extend them for longer than 30 days would require Congressional approval. 

Public Response

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed intent to cooperate with the administration’s decision, saying “How we got here or what we think about the circumstances—right now we have more police, and we want to make sure we use them.” However, Mayor Bowser also called the decision “unsettling and unprecedented.”

On Tuesday, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.’s non-voting Representative in the House, responded to Trump’s decision, stating,“There are more than 700,000 D.C. residents, and they are worthy and capable of governing themselves…The ultimate solution to ensure D.C. has control of its own resources is passage of my D.C. statehood bill, which would provide D.C. the same protections the states enjoy.” Back in January, Norton and Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen introduced a bill to grant D.C. statehood, however it is also unlikely to come to a vote. When asked about the prospect of D.C. statehood, Trump brushed it off quickly, calling the idea “ridiculous” and “unacceptable.” 

D.C.’s Attorney General, Brian Schwab, also expressed skepticism of Trump’s justification for sending troops, calling his depiction of D.C. “out of touch with the facts on the ground.” 

Trump‘s U.S Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, pushed back on the criticism on Tuesday night, claiming Trump’s actions were “just the beginning” and that “President Trump has rightfully declared an emergency crisis of crime and deployed the National Guard, the ATF, the DEA, the FBI, so that criminals know now that we see them.” 

What’s to Come?

Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he intends to request an extension of his authorities from Congress to continue the federal takeover of D.C. beyond the 30 day limit. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer signaled that Congressional Democrats will not support such a request, leaving it unlikely that an extension will be granted. On Wednesday night, however, he went further, implying he may circumvent the requirement for Congressional approval by declaring a national emergency, telling reporters “If it’s a national emergency we can do it without Congress, but we expect to be before Congress very quickly. I don’t want to call a national emergency. If I have to, I will.”

Representative Norton, along with Van Hollen, announced her intent to introduce legislation once Congress reconvenes in September that would grant D.C.’s mayor full control of its National Guard and police department. Given the Republican majorities in both the House and Senate, however, the bill is unlikely to gain significant traction. 

It remains uncertain how exactly the Trump administration intends to utilize the National Guard for the remainder of the 30-day period. Trump has, however, expressed his intent to replicate his D.C. takeover in other cities, stating,“This will go further. We’re starting very strongly with D.C., and we’re going to clean it up real quick…We’re going to take back our capital. And then we’ll look at other cities also. But other cities are studying what we’re doing.” 

Though the president retains the power to deploy National Guard troops in any U.S. city should the administration be able to provide a rationale, it’s unclear how Trump would be able to take similar control of other cities’ police forces, given that the Home Rule Act only applies to the District of Columbia. Nevertheless, battles with Democratic city mayors appear imminent.

In late October 2025, President Donald Trump renewed orders deploying National Troops to Washington, D.C., planning for troops to remain mobilized through February 28th, 2026. On November 20, 2025, U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled that the President’s deployment of troops was illegal on the basis that the troops are under the authority of Congress and not delegated under President’s Article II. Despite the ruling, the deployment has continued past the original February 28th deadline after a federal appellate court halted the enactment of Cobb’s decision in December.