President Trump said Wednesday he’s considering taking control of the Washington, D.C., police department in the wake of a violent attack on a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer.
“We’re considering it yeah, because the crime is ridiculous,” Trump said when asked if he was considering federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department.
“We want to have a great, safe capital. And we’re going to have it. And that includes cleanliness and that includes other things,” Trump added.
Under the Home Rule Act, Trump can temporarily take control of the district’s police department if he determines “special conditions of an emergency nature exist.”
Trump’s frustrations with the district have been revitalized after Edward Coristine, a former DOGE staffer nicknamed “Big Balls,” was attacked in an incident earlier this week. Trump said Wednesday he was planning to speak with Coristine.
Trump on Tuesday shared on Truth Social an image of a bloodied Coristine and called on the D.C. to prosecute teenagers as adults.
Crime in D.C. was down 35 percent in 2024 from the previous year, marking a 30-year low. Data from the district shows violent crime is also down so far in 2025 compared with the previous year.
Still, Trump has repeatedly threatened to take control of Washington throughout his second term and has spoken at length about his desire to rid the city of crime and its homeless population.
The president has met multiple times with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser since the 2024 election, and Trump has said the two get along well.
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