President Donald Trump has directed federal law enforcement agencies to patrol Washington, D.C., for seven days beginning at midnight on Friday, the White House announced. The order follows what the administration describes as a surge in violent crime in the nation’s capital, which is governed largely by Democrats.
The deployment will involve the U.S. Park Police, FBI, DEA, ATF, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Washington, DC is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long. President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
“Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.”
Leavitt added that the President “is committed to making our Nation’s capital safer for its residents, lawmakers, and visitors from all around the world.”
Context: Recent Threat to Federalize Police
This move comes after Trump threatened to federalize the city’s police force following the violent assault of a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer.
The victim, Edward Coristine—nicknamed “Big Balls”—was attacked in the Logan Circle neighborhood early Sunday morning while attempting to protect a woman from an attempted carjacking.
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump is officially SURGING federal law enforcement into DC to fight vioIent crime
The democrats have had PLENTY of time to fix the crime issue, but they’ve refused
“There will be an increased presence of federal law enforcement in response to crime in… pic.twitter.com/gP36BD8Nab
According to police reports and accounts from Tesla CEO Elon Musk and others, Coristine pushed the woman into her car to protect her after a group of up to eight teenagers surrounded them and made comments about taking the vehicle. He was then violently beaten.
Trump’s Warning to D.C.
Trump reacted strongly, using Truth Social to highlight what he sees as lawlessness among youth gangs in the city.
“They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now!” he wrote.
🚨NEW — Trump threatens to "FEDERALIZE" Washington D.C. in order to reign in "local 'youths' and gang members!"
"The Law in D.C. must be changed to prosecute these 'minors' as adults, and lock them up for a long time, starting at age 14." pic.twitter.com/4MJxZ5Wg2P
“If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore.”
D.C. Attorney on Youth Crime Laws
Recently confirmed D.C. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has also addressed the city’s youth crime problem, criticizing policies like the Second Chance Act and the Incarceration Reduction Amendment, which she says allow offenders to avoid serious consequences.
“None of them (youth offenders) come to my office … because they’re not considered criminals. They go to family court, where the effort is rehabilitation,” Pirro told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. “The D.C. council, and the president is right, they’ve got to stop their coddling.”
My friend Big Balls (@as400495) is a hero. I took this photo after Edward protected a young woman from an attempted carjacking by 8 thugs near Dupont Circle. Violence like this in the heart of DC is completely unacceptable. https://t.co/ELShlkXYaS
Critics of Trump’s move argue that D.C.’s crime levels are historically low. However, supporters counter that these statistics may be unreliable, particularly in so-called “Sanctuary” cities, where undocumented residents often go uncounted in official records.
