Trump threatens federal takeover of Washington, D.C. over rising youth crime
By lauraharris // 2025-08-09
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  • President Donald Trump again warned he may place Washington, D.C. under federal control, citing rising violent crime, especially among teens.
  • In an Aug. 5 Truth Social post, Trump demanded that D.C. begin prosecuting violent juveniles as adults starting at age 14, blaming lenient local policies for the chaos.
  • Since his 2024 campaign, Trump has called for federal oversight of the District, portraying it as a symbol of urban decay, crime and mismanagement.
  • In March, Trump signed an order establishing the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force to address graffiti, crime and homelessness under federal direction.
  • At a July Cabinet meeting and again on Truth Social, Trump emphasized the White House's "tremendous power" to intervene in D.C. governance if conditions don't improve.
President Donald Trump has once again threatened to place Washington, D.C. under federal control, citing a worsening crisis of violent crime involving teenagers in the nation's capital. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Aug. 5, Trump said that the crime situation of the city had become "out of control," blaming local officials for a revolving door of justice for young offenders. "Crime in Washington, D.C., is totally out of control. Local "youths" and gang members, some only 14, 15 and 16 years old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming and shooting innocent citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released. They are not afraid of law enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it's going to happen now!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. He then called on D.C. leaders to begin prosecuting violent juveniles as adults starting at age 14, urging courts to "lock them up for a long time." If the city fails to crack down on violent youth crime, Trump warned that he will place the city under federal control to restore safety and order. (Related: Security measures intensify as Washington D.C. prepares for Trump's inauguration.) "The Law in D.C. must be changed to prosecute these 'minors' as adults and lock them up for a long time, starting at age 14. Washington, D.C., must be safe, clean and beautiful for all Americans and, importantly, for the World to see. 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. If this continues, I am going to exert my powers and FEDERALIZE this city," Trump added.

Trump's criticism of Washington, D.C. ranges from crime rate to physical appearance

Trump has repeatedly pushed to place Washington, D.C. under federal control, framing the capital city as a symbol of urban decline and government mismanagement. Since launching his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump has proposed various measures to expand federal authority over the District of Columbia, including enhanced oversight, direct management and full federal governance. His criticism of the city has ranged from its crime rate to its physical appearance, which he has described in vivid and often harsh terms. "It looked like somebody just took their garbage and just threw it all over the highways, the Beltway. It's so disgraceful, so disgusting," Trump said at the March 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference. "Frankly, the federal government should take over control and management of Washington, D.C." That message has remained consistent throughout Trump's campaign and second presidency. At a July 2024 rally in Florida, he promised supporters that he would "take over the horribly run capital of our nation in Washington, D.C. and clean it up, renovate it and rebuild our capital city so that it is no longer a nightmare of murder and crime, but rather it will become the most beautiful capital anywhere in the world." In February 2025, Trump again reiterated his call for federal management of D.C. and the administration has already begun laying the groundwork for such efforts. In March, Trump signed an executive order creating the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, a federal initiative aimed at urban cleanup and crime reduction. The task force focuses on removing graffiti, maintaining parks and addressing issues like homelessness and violent crime – all under the direction of federal agencies. During a July Cabinet meeting, Trump emphasized that the White House has "tremendous power" to step in. Now, he repeated this claim on Truth Social. Head over to BigGovernment.news for similar stories. Watch this footage of thousands of protesters in Washington D.C. as they rally against Donald Trump and Elon Musk. This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

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Sources include: YourNews.com TruthSocial.com Brighteon.com
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