August 20, 2025
Trump seizes DC police control under rarely-used Home Rule Act
Constitutional crisis erupts as president seizes local government
🛡️National Security📜Constitutional Law🏛️Government
Trump deployed over 2,000 National Guard troops from six states to Washington DC on Aug. 11, 2025, and seized control of Metropolitan Police Department using Section 740 of DC Home Rule Act
The federal takeover occurred despite DC violent crime dropping 26% in 2025 and reaching a 30-year low, with overall crime down 15% in 2024 according to city police data
Attorney General 
Pam Bondi now controls local police through emergency powers lasting up to 30 days, with Trump requesting maximum period permitted under Home Rule Act extending through Sep. 10
National Guard troops received authorization to carry weapons including M4 rifles and M17 handguns while conducting law enforcement duties traditionally performed by civilian police officers
The deployment exploits Title 32 status allowing out-of-state National Guard units to perform law enforcement without triggering Posse Comitatus Act restrictions on military domestic operations
DC residents lose democratic control over local policing as federal appointees replace elected officials authority over law enforcement decisions, resource allocation, and community safety priorities
Federal judges blocked Trump attempts to install federal officials as police chief, but upheld broader executive authority to commandeer local police for immigration enforcement and federal purposes
🛡️National Security📜Constitutional Law🏛️Government
Test Your Knowledge
10
Q1
How many National Guard troops did West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey deploy to DC?
Q2
Many of the states sending troops to DC have cities with worse crime rates than Washington.
Q3
Who pays for the out-of-state National Guard deployments to DC?
Q4
Which six Republican states deployed National Guard troops to DC at Trump's request?
Q5
Democratic governors have criticized the GOP deployments as abuse of power.
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Start QuizPeople, bills, and sources
Donald Trump
President of the United States
Pam Bondi
Attorney General
Pete Hegseth
Defense Secretary
Muriel Bowser
Mayor of Washington DC
Ana Reyes
Federal District Judge
Brian Schwalb
DC Attorney General