On August 11, 2025, President Donald Trump declared a "public safety emergency" in Washington, D.C., placing the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploying the National Guard to the city. Attorney General Pam Bondi was appointed to oversee the police department and the emergency measures. The president justified the declaration by citing concerns about crime and conditions in the capital, claiming Washington has a higher violent crime rate than some of the world's worst cities and pointing to issues with youth criminality and gun violence.
