Trump vows national emergency in Washington, D.C., The comments come after several thousand protesters hit the streets this month over Mr. Trump’s August deployment of National Guard troops in the capital.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday (September 15, 2025) announced that he would call a national emergency and federalize Washington, D.C., after Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city’s police would not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The clash stems from the refusal to share information about individuals living in or entering the U.S. illegally. Critics argue that Trump’s move reflects federal overreach into local law enforcement.
This escalation follows weeks of protests against Trump’s August deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., which he defended as necessary to restore “law, order, and public safety.” Demonstrators accused the administration of undermining democratic norms.
On Truth Social, Trump claimed that crime in the capital had virtually disappeared “for the first time in decades” and accused “Radical Left Democrats” of pressuring Mayor Bowser into rejecting ICE cooperation.
By law, the National Guard typically answers to state governors, but the D.C. National Guard reports directly to the president, giving Trump unique authority to federalize the force during disputes with local officials.