President Trump said D.C. will soon be “one of the safest” cities as his administration moves to handle violent crime in the nation’s capital.
In a Truth Social post Saturday, Mr. Trump said a press conference held at the White House Monday will reveal how he plans to stop violent crime in the District.
“It has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World,” he wrote. “It will soon be one of the safest!!!”
The announcement comes after the White House said Thursday it ordered an increased presence of federal law enforcement to patrol the city.
“Washington, DC is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens.”
The White House said the effort is led by the U.S. Capitol Police, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Protective Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The initiative will last seven days with a possible extension.
Mr. Trump has criticized the crime on D.C. streets and repeatedly said he could federalize the city. To do that, Congress would have to overturn the 1973 Home Rule Act, which gave the city the power to elect its own government officials.
In a lengthy post on social media this week, the president commented on the bloody mugging of Edward Coristine, the Department of Government Efficiency staffer known as “Big Balls.”
Mr. Trump called for D.C. to change its laws so teenagers 14 and older who commit crimes are charged as adults.
“Local ‘youths’ and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens, at the same time that they will almost immediately be released,” the president said.
“They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now!” Mr. Trump said. “The Law in D.C. must be changed to prosecute these ‘minors’ as adults, and lock them up for a long time, starting at age 14. The most recent victim was beaten mercilessly by local thugs.
“If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore.”
Vice President J.D. Vance supported Mr. Trump’s Saturday post.
“Our nation’s capital has become ridden with out-of-control violent crime thanks to misguided local leadership,” he wrote on X. “President Trump is putting a stop to this lawlessness.”
Earlier this year, the president signed an executive order to make D.C. “safe and beautiful.”
The order created a task force that would “surge law enforcement officers in public areas and strictly enforce quality-of-life laws in public areas like drug use, unpermitted demonstrations, vandalism, and public intoxication,” along with helping remove migrants from the city and crack down on fare evasion.
According to data from the Metropolitan Police Department, violent crime is down in 2025 from 2024.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.