WASHINGTON — President Trump announced a historic escalation of law enforcement in DC on Monday, deploying the National Guard to patrol the streets and placing the city’s police department under federal control.
“We’re going to clean it up real quick,” Trump told reporters at the White House, noting the high crime rate in the nation’s capital and the Aug. 3 attack on a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer trying to stop an attempted carjacking by 10 teens.
“You spit, and we hit,” Trump said in describing how cops will respond to those who fight back against the law under the newly-established “public safety emergency.”
“They can hit real hard,” the president added of police.
If necessary, Trump added, ordinary military members could be deployed to join the National Guard and the local cops.
The president has direct control over DC’s National Guard, unlike every other unit, which is under the authority of state governors.
Under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973, Trump has the authority to use the DC Metropolitan Police Department for federal purposes for 30 days.
“Washington, DC, should be one of the safest, cleanest and most beautiful cities anywhere in the world, and we’re going to make it that,” Trump said of his plans to beautify the District.
Homeless encampments will also be removed from all public places, including in parks and underpasses.
The US Park Police, under the control of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, will be responsible for the removal of graffiti.
“It’s becoming a situation of complete and total lawlessness, and we get rid of the slums too,” Trump went on.
“We have slums here. We get rid of them. I know it’s not politically correct. You’ll say, oh, so terrible. No. We get rid of the slums where they live, caravans of mass youth rampage through city streets at all times of the day.”
“You want to live in places like that? I don’t think so, I don’t think so,” Trump said.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has recently invoked curfews in parts of the city in a bid to keep teens off the street as early as 7 p.m.
Bowser has claimed crime rates are going down in the city, but Trump claimed the numbers were “phony” and promised that Attorney General Pam Bondi will be “looking into that.”
