National Guard troops have been deployed to Washington, D.C., following President Donald Trump’s order to strengthen federal control over local law enforcement. The move has sparked criticism from several Democratic leaders, who view it as an overreach of law-and-order powers.
Despite the backlash, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser promised to cooperate with federal authorities, stressing the importance of collaboration. This decision comes at a time when the city is experiencing its lowest violent crime rate in 30 years.
Bowser’s Focus on Using Extra Resources
Speaking to reporters after meeting U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Bowser told The Guardian, “I won’t go into the details of our operational plan at this point but you will see the Metropolitan police department (MPD) working side by side with our federal partners in order to enforce the effort that we need around the city.”
Since Trump’s return to power in January, Bowser has kept a measured approach toward the administration, avoiding direct confrontations. On Tuesday, she struck a conciliatory tone, saying she intended to make full use of the federal resources.
“What I’m focused on is the federal surge and how to make the most of the additional officer support that we have,” she said. Bowser praised MPD and Chief Pamela Smith for leading the effort, adding that both federal officers and National Guard members would be used effectively “in an effort to drive down crime.”
She concluded, “So, how we got here or what we think about the circumstances right now, we have more police and we want to make sure we’re using them.”
Democratic Mayors Push Back Nationally
While Bowser opted for cooperation, many Democratic mayors across the country voiced strong opposition to Trump’s approach. They warned that extending such measures to other cities would be a dangerous power grab.
On Monday, Trump intensified his criticism of Democratic-run cities, naming Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Baltimore, and Oakland. “You don’t even mention them any more, they’re so far gone,” he told reporters.
The next day, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller claimed on social media — without evidence — that crime data in large Democratic cities was “fake” and that actual levels of “crime, chaos & dysfunction” were worse. He wrote, “Democrats are trying to unravel civilization. Pres Trump will save it.”
Mayors Respond to Trump’s Remarks
All five cities targeted by Trump are led by Black mayors, most of whom condemned the move. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said, “Sending in the national guard would only serve to destabilise our city and undermine our public safety efforts.”
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott dismissed Trump’s comments, saying, “When it comes to public safety in Baltimore, he should turn off the rightwing propaganda and look at the facts. Baltimore is the safest it’s been in over 50 years.”
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee posted on X, “President Trump’s characterization of Oakland is wrong and based in fear-mongering in an attempt to score cheap political points.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, where troops were deployed earlier this month to crack down on protests, called the move “another experiment by the Administration, another power grab from local government. This is performative. This is a stunt. It always has been and always will be.”
