President Trump exercised his power over Washington on Monday, announcing that he’ll “rescue” the nation’s capital by deploying the National Guard and taking over the city’s police department to combat crime and homelessness. Here’s what you need to know about the D.C. federal takeover:

The National Guard deployment

Trump announces military intervention in nation’s capital:

The crime statistics dispute

Trump claims worsening crime despite police data showing improvement:

The historical context

District faced significant crime surge in recent years:

Hegseth’s military commitment

Defense Secretary outlines deployment timeline:

The DOGE staffer incident

Recent assault prompted federal takeover threat:

The weekend enforcement surge

Trump increased federal law enforcement presence:

The military precedent

National Guard deployment part of broader Trump military strategy:

The arrest highlights

White House fact sheet details weekend law enforcement actions:

The legal authority

Congressional approval needed for complete federal control:

The legislative efforts

Utah senator introduces supporting legislation:

Mayor Bowser’s pushback

D.C. mayor disputes Trump’s crime characterization:

The crime data details

Local police statistics show significant improvements:

The international comparison

White House disputes D.C. safety using global data:

The March executive order

Trump previously established D.C. safety task force:

The Los Angeles precedent

Trump bypassed governor for previous National Guard deployment:

The historical military use

Trump used federal forces during first presidential term:

Read more:

• Trump deploys National Guard to D.C. as federal government takes over Metro police

This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com

The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.