Trump Orders Federal Agents to Patrol DC Tourist Areas for Week/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The White House has ordered a week-long surge of federal law enforcement across Washington, D.C., focusing on tourist-heavy areas and city hot spots. President Donald Trump has also floated a federal takeover of the capital, a move requiring congressional repeal of the Home Rule Act. The initiative follows a recent high-profile attempted carjacking, despite overall crime rates declining.
D.C. Law Enforcement Surge: Quick Looks
- Federal agents to patrol Washington, D.C., tourist areas and crime hot spots
- Operation to run at least 7 days, with possible extension
- Led by U.S. Park Police, with FBI, DEA, Capitol Police support
- Trump considers ending D.C. home rule to bring city under federal control
- White House says crackdown aims to protect “innocent citizens” from violent crime
- Crime in D.C. has fallen sharply from 2023 highs
- Move follows attempted carjacking of a federal employee nicknamed “Big Balls”
- Critics note late-night tours showed little visible increase in police presence
- Federal takeover would require repealing 1973 Home Rule Act
- Announcement part of Trump’s broader push to reshape city governance
Deep Look
White House Deploys Federal Agents to Washington, D.C., Tourist Areas Amid Trump’s Push for Greater Control
WASHINGTON — Starting at midnight Friday, a wave of federal law enforcement officers will fan out across Washington, D.C., focusing on tourist-heavy zones and other city hot spots, the White House announced Thursday. The operation will run for at least seven days, with the possibility of extension, and is being presented as part of President Donald Trump’s broader effort to tighten federal control over the nation’s capital.
“President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. “Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.”
Trump has repeatedly suggested that the rule of Washington could be returned to federal authorities. Doing so would require a repeal of the Home Rule Act of 1973 in Congress, a step Trump said lawyers are examining — but could face steep pushback.
“We have a capital that’s very unsafe,” Trump told reporters at the White House this week. “We have to run D.C.”
The White House said the increased law enforcement would “make D.C. safe again” and would be present on the streets starting at midnight — led by U.S. Park Police following an 11 p.m. Thursday roll call at an established command center.
Agencies Involved in the Crackdown
The surge will be led by the U.S. Park Police, with reinforcements from the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Capitol Police. According to a senior White House official, the deployment will begin in the early hours of Friday morning and may expand if deemed necessary.
“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,” Trump posted on Truth Social earlier this week.
Trump, speaking to reporters, framed the move as part of a wider plan. “We have to run D.C.,” he said, signaling his openness to reversing the city’s self-governing status under the Home Rule Act of 1973. That step would require congressional approval and is expected to face strong opposition from local leaders and some lawmakers.
Triggered by High-Profile Crime
While the city’s violent crime rate has dropped significantly since peaking in 2023 — with carjackings and homicides sharply down — the operation was prompted in part by the attempted carjacking of a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee, nicknamed “Big Balls,” by a group of teenagers. The incident drew Trump’s ire and became a catalyst for action.
Leavitt said the focus is on restoring safety to areas frequented by residents and visitors alike. “Washington, D.C., is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long,” she stated.
Limited Early Signs of Surge
Despite the high-profile announcement, a two-hour tour of D.C. streets beginning at 1 a.m. Friday found no visible evidence of the large-scale, multiagency deployment described by the White House. Officials say the full scope of the operation will become more apparent during daytime hours, especially in areas with heavy tourist traffic.
Political Context and Federal Control Debate
Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of ending D.C.’s home rule — a policy in place since 1973 that allows residents to elect their own local government — and restoring direct federal control. The White House confirmed that legal teams are examining the feasibility of such a move, but acknowledged the political hurdles involved.
The president’s push to assert more federal authority in Washington is part of a broader pattern in his second term, combining public safety initiatives with changes to city governance.
Whether the current law enforcement surge signals the start of a longer-term federal role in local policing remains to be seen. For now, administration officials say the focus is on deterring crime during the busy summer tourism season and projecting a visible federal presence across the capital’s most visited areas.
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