Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had harsh words Wednesday when asked whether Democrats planned to go along with President Donald Trump's request to extend his control over Washington, D.C.'s police force.
Schumer made the comment during an appearance on "The Parnas Perspective" with host Aaron Parnas. The top Democrat made it very clear that his party would do everything in its power to prevent Trump's move from going beyond the current 30-day period.
"No f‑‑‑ing way," Schumer told Parnas when asked about the extension.
"We’ll fight him tooth and nail. … He needs to get Congress to approve it, and not only are we not going to approve it, but there are some Republicans who don’t like it either."
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says Democrats will fight to end Trump's control over D.C. police. (Left: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images; Right: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
"This is, again, just a distraction. He’s afraid of Epstein," Schumer continued. "He’s afraid of all that, and we are not going to give up on Epstein."
Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he is asking Congress to extend his control over the Metropolitan Police Department beyond the 30 days afforded by the Home Rule Act.
Trump nevertheless claims he can unilaterally extend the period by declaring a national emergency if Congress doesn't cooperate.
"Well, if it's a national emergency, we can do it without Congress. But we expect to be before Congress very quickly. And again, we think the Democrats will not do anything to stop crime, but we think the Republicans will do it almost unanimously. So we're going to need a crime bill. That we're going to be putting in, and it's going to pertain initially to DC. We're going to use it as a very positive example," Trump told reporters at the Kennedy Center.
"You can't have 30 days," he said. "We're going to do this very quickly, but we're going to want extensions. I don't want to call a national emergency, but if I have to I will."
President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the Kennedy Center on Aug. 13, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Trump announced his D.C. crime and homelessness crackdown last week, calling in the National Guard and federal law enforcement in addition to federalizing the MPD.
Law enforcement has arrested more than 100 people since Aug. 7, which includes 43 who were arrested Tuesday, a White House official told Fox Digital on Wednesday. The arrests are part of Trump’s March executive order, which established the Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force.