President Donald Trump’s move to take federal control of Washington, D.C.’s police force and deploy National Guard troops is getting pushback from leaders in neighboring Maryland and Baltimore.
On Monday, Trump invoked Section 40 of the district’s Home Rule Act to temporarily seize authority over the Metropolitan Police Department, claiming D.C. had been “overtaken by violent gangs” and “roving mobs of wild youth.” He announced roughly 800 National Guard troops would be deployed for at least 30 days, along with FBI agents to assist in what he called “reestablishing law, order, and public safety.”
“This is liberation day in D.C. We’re gonna take our capital back,” Trump told reporters.
Mayor Brandon Scott: “Look at the facts”
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott wasn’t buying the narrative. In a statement and an Instagram post, Scott called the move a political distraction and pointed to the real progress cities like his have made.
“This is the latest effort by the president to distract from the issues he should be focused on — including the roller coaster of the U.S. economy thanks to his policies,” Scott said. “When it comes to public safety in Baltimore, he should turn off the right-wing propaganda and look at the facts. Baltimore is the safest it’s been in over 50 years. Homicides are down 28% this year alone, reaching the lowest level of any year on record.”
Scott also noted that violent crime has hit historic lows in cities across the country, crediting the partnerships between mayors, law enforcement, the legal system, and communities. “The president could learn a lot about leadership from them,” he added.
Governor Wes Moore: “Lacks seriousness and is deeply dangerous”
Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a veteran and commander-in-chief of the Maryland National Guard, didn’t mince words either. He criticized the president’s approach as “deeply dangerous” and “lacking both data and a battle plan.”
“As someone who has served overseas in uniform, I take how, when, and why we deploy members of our armed forces personally and seriously,” Moore said. “He is simply using honorable men and women as pawns to distract us from his policies, which continue to drive up unemployment and strip away health care and food assistance from those who need it most.”
Moore pointed to Maryland’s own results as proof that community-based strategies work: “[H]omicides are down by more than 20% statewide since our inauguration. Baltimore is the safest it has been in five decades, through strong partnerships with Mayor Brandon Scott, law enforcement, and the people who call Baltimore home.”
Unlike in the states, where governors control National Guard deployments, the president has the authority to send troops into Washington, D.C., without local approval.
This latest action underscores the tension between federal authority and local leadership and the deep political divides over how to address crime in America’s cities.
