Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee blasted President Trump for “dictator-level stuff” as he launched his crime crackdown and law enforcement takeover in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
“Deploying the military on DC’s streets only creates fear and chaos,” members wrote in a post on the social platform X as Trump outlined the effort during a White House briefing. “Donald Trump will be held accountable for this brazen power grab.”
After teasing the plan over the weekend, Trump announced Monday a federal takeover of D.C.’s police department and the deployment of National Guard troops in the nation’s capital.
“Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people, and we’re not going to let it happen anymore,” Trump said. “We’re not going to take it.”
Trump declared that crime has become a public safety emergency in the district, which he says allows his temporary takeover.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the Oversight Committee’s ranking member, accused Trump of trying to divert the public’s focus with an “unnecessary stunt” that is “100 percent politically motivated.”
“Donald Trump’s economy is failing, his Epstein files cover-up won’t go away, and public support for his agenda is way down. So it’s no surprise that he is trying to distract the American public,” Garcia said in a statement. “Despite Republican claims, violent crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low, including Trump’s first term.”
“Committee Democrats have long supported Washington D.C.’s right to decide how to govern itself — and we will keep championing this right for its more than 700,000 residents,” he added.
Separately, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) announced plans Monday to hold a hearing with Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D) and district Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D) next month to review crime concerns.
The president can seize control of the department for up to 30 days, but congressional approval is needed for extensions beyond that.
Trump tapped Drug Enforcement Agency Administrator Terry Cole to helm the federal government’s takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department.
