Trump threatens National Guard deployment in Washington DC, citing rise in violence

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to deploy the National Guard in Washington, DC, and suggested a potential federal takeover of the city’s policing, citing concerns about rising crime and an assault on a staffer linked to Elon Musk.

“We have a capital that’s very unsafe,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. “We have to run DC. This has to be the best-run place in the country.”

The president’s remarks follow the assault of Edward Coristine — reportedly a junior staffer with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a now-defunct agency Musk once led as a Trump adviser. According to Musk, the staffer was “beaten and received a concussion” in an unprovoked attack.

“It is time to federalise DC,” Musk wrote on social media, amplifying Trump’s long-standing grievances about the capital’s leadership.

TRUMP ESCALATES CALLS TO FEDERALISE THE CAPITAL

Trump has previously expressed interest in seizing direct control of Washington.

“We just almost lost a young man — beautiful, handsome guy that got the hell knocked out of him,” Trump said. The president later posted a graphic photo of Coristine, bloodied on his face, torso, and limbs, under the nickname “Big Balls.”

“We’re going to beautify the city. We’re going to make it beautiful,” Trump added. “And what a shame — the rate of crime, the rate of muggings, killings, and everything else. We’re not going to let it. And that includes bringing in the National Guard, maybe very quickly, too.”

NO RESPONSE FROM CITY HALL

The office of DC Mayor Muriel Bowser declined to comment on the president’s statements. However, police data appears to contradict Trump’s characterisation of crime levels in the capital.

According to records from the Metropolitan Police Department, violent crime in DC dropped by 26% in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the same period last year. Overall crime was down 7% so far this year, after a 15% decline in 2024 over 2023.

Despite the data, Trump argued the city remained dangerous and said his legal team was reviewing ways to overturn the Home Rule Act — the 1973 law that grants DC limited autonomy, including the election of its mayor and city council.

– Ends

With inputs from Reuters

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