U.S. President Donald Trump has taken temporary control of Washington’s police force and ordered 800 National Guard troops into the city, citing a “public safety emergency” despite crime rates falling sharply in recent years.
Trump announced the measures at The White House on Monday, bypassing the city’s Democratic leadership under powers in the District of Columbia’s Home Rule Act. The law allows the president to assume command of the Metropolitan Police Department for up to 30 days in an “emergency.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi will oversee the force, while between 100 and 200 Guard members will be deployed at any given time to assist law enforcement with administrative, logistical and public-order duties, the U.S. Army said.
The move follows a similar deployment to Los Angeles in June, now the subject of a federal court challenge over whether the president violated U.S. law by acting without a governor’s consent. Trump signalled that Chicago could be next.
Washington’s Mayor Muriel Bowser rejected the president’s claims of “unchecked violence,” noting violent crime in the city dropped 35% in 2024 and has fallen a further 26% in the first seven months of 2025, according to police data. The city’s attorney general, Brian Schwalb, called Trump’s action “unlawful” and said legal options were being considered.
Trump’s announcement came as his administration cut $20 million (about £15.7 million) in federal urban security funding for the National Capital Region, a 44% reduction from last year. He also pledged to clear homeless encampments on federal land, without detailing relocation plans.
The president has full authority over the 2,700-strong D.C. National Guard, unlike in states where governors command the force. Federal troops have been sent to the capital repeatedly in recent decades, including during the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack and the 2020 anti-racism protests.
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The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
Türkiye and Iran have suspended day-trip passenger crossings at their shared border, Türkiye's trade minister said Monday, as a U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran entered its third day.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the U.S. and Israel launched “major combat operations” in Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has moved into a pivotal constitutional role following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, becoming the clerical member of Iran’s temporary leadership council under Article 111 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
The UK said it's allowing the U.S. to use its bases for defensive strikes against Iran amid escalating missile attacks, after a suspected drone strike hit a British airbase in southern Cyprus, causing limited damage.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
European Union stands with its member states in the face of any threat, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in response to the drone strike that hit Britain's Royal Air Force base of Akrotiri in southern Cyprus overnight.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 27th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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