Donald Trump invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act on 11 August 2025 to declare a public safety emergency in Washington, D.C. due to what he claimed was rampant crime and lawlessness. This federalized control over the Metropolitan Police Department further resulted in the deployment of about 800 National Guard troops alongside federal agents.
Fear over Facts: How and Why Donald Trump Used False Crimes to Set Washington as a Stage for Federal Power
Using False Information for Power-Grab
The federalization of the police department and National Guard in Washington reignited debates over the extent of federal power and the weaponization of false information. Specifically, while the second Trump administration cited rising crime as a rationale for assuming federal control, data show a three-decade low. This illustrates how political rhetoric outweighs realities.
Supporters of the federal intervention have also claimed that there is a need for decisive action because Washington has become unsafe. The repeated claims disseminated in the media and online platforms were glaring and unpromising. The complementary descriptions of alleged situations from various supporters further insinuate clear images of rampant urban lawlessness.
Official statistics paint the real picture. The District of Columbia released a report in January 2025 indicating that its total violent crime rate for 2024 dropped 35 percent compared to 2023. This had been the lowest it has been in over 30 years. Data from the Metropolitan Police Department showed that many violent crime categories continued the downward trend in mid-2025.
Trump is Governing Through Perception
Dramatic claims of supposed lawlessness were made at roughly the same moment analysts were reporting that many crime metrics were already improving. This is indicative of a blatant attempt to use false information in political rhetoric to advance a policy or promote a particular interest by shifting public attention from evidence-based trends to impressions of disorder.
The second Trump administration fundamentally constructed a crisis by describing Washington or the entire District of Columbia as plagued by gangs and unchecked violence. Remember that this framing evokes urgency and public anxiety that rationalizes extreme measures. The charged narratives are designed to consolidate support for sweeping federal actions.
Several assumptions have been put forward to understand why the administration federalized and took control of Washington. Some attribute it to ongoing anti-immigration crackdowns. Others have framed it as part of the attempt of Trump to reinforce his political image as a decisive leader who is tough on crime and can mobilize law enforcement elements to promote security.
It can also be argued that Trump has also been capitalizing on false information to divert attention from other domestic issues and political challenges, like economic woes, internal conflicts among right-wing groups, and political controversies like the Epstein files. This is not the first time he has manufactured a crisis or magnified an issue to embolden his policy and decisions.
Notable Implications for Local Autonomy
The decision to federalize law enforcement underscores the fragile autonomy of the District of Columbia. Specifically, despite having 700,000 residents paying federal taxes, the district lacks full congressional representation and remains prone to federal overrides. The federalization highlights how its governance remains under the whims of the federal government.
It is also worth mentioning that Trump has been testing the reach of federal power. He has launched aggressive campaigns against several Democrat-led cities and states like Los Angeles and the entire California, Baltimore, Chicago, New York, and Oakland through similar law enforcement takeovers, immigration crackdowns, and political restructuring like gerrymandering.
The use of false information or exaggeration in political rhetoric for power-grab and other policies indicates that the governance of the second Trump administration, along with its decisions and actions, is shaped not by facts or evidence but by narratives. The situation in Washington shows how political framing can erode local autonomy and result in the centralization of power.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- Metropolitan Police Washington, D.C. 16 September 2025. “2025 Year-to-Date Crime Comparison.” Metropolitan Police Washington, D.C. District of Columbia. Available online
- S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 3 January 2025. “Violent Crime in D.C. Hits 30 Year Low.” District of Columbia. U.S. Department of Justice. Available online
- S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 31 December 2024. 2024 Violent Crime Outcome. U.S. Department of Justice. Available via PDF