D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called President Trump’s federal takeover of Washington’s police force “unsettling and unprecedented,” emphasizing that her administration never requested such intervention. The move, framed by Trump as a “patriotic reclamation,” saw 800 National Guard troops deployed under Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act.

This latest action follows controversy from June, when Trump sent National Guard units to immigration protests in Los Angeles without California’s consent—raising constitutional concerns over governors’ control of their own forces. The administration claims both actions are lawful, but critics argue they represent dangerous overreach.

Declaring it “liberation day,” Trump justified the D.C. move by claiming rampant crime—despite FBI data showing a significant drop in violent crime. His rhetoric, including “you spit, we hit,” has fueled fears of normalized police brutality.

The incident has sparked renewed talk of impeachment and wider concerns about whether this aggressive federal policing strategy could expand to other cities, creating a troubling precedent for American civil governance.