President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will seek a more permanent federal control of the Washington police force, DC, while continuing his efforts to increase the application of crimes in the capital of the nation.
Earlier this week, Trump announced his plans to deploy National Guard troops in the capital of the Nation, declaring a public security emergency to place the Washington Police Department under Federal Control and National Guard station in the streets of the city. Trump’s current control over DC’s police force expires in 30 days, after which Congress would have to intervene.
When asked on Wednesday if he would work with Congress to extend the emergency authorization, which allows him to temporarily take the control of the Local Police, Trump said he will ask Congress for an “long -term” extension of the federal authority on the Washington Police force.
President Donald Trump asks a question of the press during a visit to the Kennedy center in Washington, on August 13, 2025.
Mandel and/AFP
“We are going to ask for extensions about that: long -term extensions, because you can’t have 30 days,” Trump said at an event at the Kennedy center.
Trump indicated at a time that he would ask Congress more funds to combat crime and make repairs to Washington streets and parks.
“We are going to make Washington beautiful. We are going to rebuild the roads. We are going to rebuild the medians. The cobblestones and the medians are throughout the city. We are going to remove all the graffiti. We will have to eliminate the stores. And the people who live in our parks, we will rebuild the parks, the herbs and all. We will go to a congress for a relatively small amount of money and in relation to the money. parks, and we will go to Congress for a relatively small amount of [Senate Budget Committee chair and GOP Sen.] Lindsey [Graham] And the Republicans will approve it, “Trump said.
Trump has long threatened to take control of Washington, saying that he wants to take strong measures against violent crime in the district, although police statistics show that in the last two years, violent crime has decreased.
“Fighting crime is a good thing. We have to explain that we are going to fight crime, that’s something good,” Trump said Wednesday. “They are already saying: ‘He is a dictator,’ he said, referring to the Democrats.” The place goes to hell. We have to stop it. So, instead of saying: “He is a dictator,” they should say, “we will join him and make Washington safe.”
A convoy of soldiers assigned to the 273th Military Police Company, Washington, DC National Guard, arrives at the National Shopping Center to carry out patrol operations, on August 12, 2025.
Staff sergeant. Dente Rowell/Au.s. Army
“We will be essentially free of crimes. This will be a lighthouse, and will also serve as an example of what can be done,” Trump said.
BRIG of the US Army. UU. General Leland D. Blanchard II, the general assistant of the National Guard of the Columbia Army, visits with soldiers assigned to the 273th Military Police Company, during patrol operations in the National Mall, August 12, 2025.
Staff sergeant. Dente Rowell/US Army.
Soldiers assigned to the 273A Military Police Company, Washington, DC National Guard, patrol the National Shopping Center, in Washington, on August 12, 2025.
Sergeant Joseph Spraktes/US Army.
A member of the DC National Guard joins his unit near the Washington monument on August 12, 2025 in Washington.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
The National Guard troops began to deploy in a greater number throughout the National Shopping Center during the night, according to a person familiar with the plan.
According to a person familiar with the effort, the last plan requires sending the soldiers of the Army activated around the National Shopping Center in the middle of the night to be visible to DC residents before Friday morning.
The authorities said the Trump administration is still in the process of establishing a joint work group, which will be directed by Army Colonel Larry Doane. While the working group is expected to include 800 activated soldiers, DC residents will not see so many in the streets.
The troops will work in shifts of 100 to 200 troops at the same time, and some of them will be assigned to administrative or logistics roles in support of the application of the local law, authorities told ABC News.
ABC News producers did not see any national guard or a greater presence of application of the law around Washington on Wednesday afternoon, even around the National Mall, DC Armory or Logan Circle, where a man was shot dead and killed earlier this week.
A White House official told ABC News that, starting Wednesday night, officials expected a significantly greater presence of the National Guard to be on the ground throughout Washington, DC “The White House official added that from Wednesday night, the deployment will pass to operations 24/7. These operations had previously focused on the afternoon and during the night.
On Tuesday night, more than 1,450 federal officers of application of the law and members of the National Guard patrolled Washington, according to a White House official. The application teams made 43 arrests on Tuesday night, almost twice the number on Monday night, said the official.
These laws of application of the law included 750 officers of the DC Metropolitan Police Department that were “uniformed, marked as patrol and directly assigned as anti-cripe officers,” said the White House official. That adds to the Federal Police that had been previously mobilized in the area. The White House official said there were about 30 national guard troops on the ground last night.
The laws of application of the law were “deployed in the seven districts in DC to promote public safety and arrest violent criminals,” said the White House official.
After Trump’s announcement on Monday, approximately 850 officers and agents turned off on DC just after Trump declared an emergency of crime in the capital, making 23 arrests, said the press secretary of the White House, Karoline Leavitt.
On Tuesday, the National Guard troops were seen in the National Shopping Center, with many parked around the base of the Washington monument. The troops left on Wednesday morning.
It was not clear immediately why the presence of American troops throughout the National Shopping Center was needed, apart from exhibiting Trump’s orders. The area, marked by museums, monuments and long sections of grass, is known as a relatively safe part of the city that mainly attracts tourists and school groups.
John Parkinson from ABC News contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that the National Guard did not make any arrest of individuals in Washington.
