President Donald Trump authorized the deployment of up to 120 FBI agents in the streets of Washington DC to help local police to fight Washington Post.
This decision reaffaches the agents of the counterationing and public corruption divisions to the changes of patrol overnight alongside the DC police.
Nowsweek contacted the White House by email on Sunday to comment.
Why it matters
This federal intervention represents an extraordinary assertion of the executive power on local police in Washington DC, possibly established a precedent for federal participation in the municipal police.
Because Washington is a federal district rather than in a state, it falls under the authority of the congress, which means that any presidential attempt to take over the city raises serious constitutional, legal and political concerns.
Deployment diverts FBI’s resources from their traditional roles of investigation while Trump’s extended repression against homelessness could further undermine DC’s limited self-government and establish a precedent for the Federal Authority enhances local decision-making.
What to know
FBI agents, mainly from the Washington Field Office, will work in the night quarters for at least a week to support DC police during traffic and patrols, said two familiar sources with the case, said that Washington Post. Unlike federal patrols on federal streets, managed by the police and the secret services of the American park, these FBI agents lack standard training for traffic stops and street meetings.
Trump’s growing approach now targets crime and homelessness thanks to the “DC Safe and Beautiful work force” established in March. The working group coordinates federal agencies to enforce the laws on the quality of life, eliminate homeless camps on federal land, support the recruitment of the local police, strengthen pre-trial detention policies and restore federal monuments and public spaces. The National Park Service has already strengthened homeless camps in the context of this broader federal effort.
DC Crime’s current data contradicts the characterization of rampant violence by Trump. Violent crimes dropped by 26% compared to the same period in 2024, with homicides down 12% and down 37%. Juvenile arrests have decreased by almost 20%, although about 200 accusations involve violent crimes.
The Trump administration did not consult the leadership of the DC police on optimal deployment strategies for these federal resources, according to senior officials of the department. The operation extends beyond the deployment of the FBI, the secret services and the uniform division of American secret services also receiving the launch orders of special patrols throughout the district.
What people say
President Donald Trump on Truth Social Sunday: Sunday: “The press conference on crime and” Beautification “will be held tomorrow, at 10:00 am est, in the press briefing room, and it will not only involve ending the crime, Murder, and Death in our nation’s capital, but will also be over cleanliness and the general physical renovation and Capital.
He continued: “The mayor of DC, Muriel Bowser, is a good person who tried, but she has received many chances, and the crime figures are getting worse, and the city only takes care of the border, where the American public will not have taken place last month, I will take care of the end, I would take more care of dear tents, mission, dirt and crime.
The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, previously said: “President Trump is committed to making the capital of our country safer for its residents, legislators and visitors around the world.”
Jeanine Pirro Us lawyer for the Columbia district, targeted crime for young people on Thursday, declaring to journalists: “We see far too many crimes committed by young people – 14, 15, 16, 17 years old – that I cannot get my hands on … I don’t know if you have seen some of these photos. But young people are anchored, and they no longer need to be anchored. They must be held responsible … They must understand that it is sufficient. “”
The mayor of the Columbia district, Muriel Bowser, on the left, speaks while President Donald Trump is listening to an event to announce that the NFL 2027 draft will be held at the National Mall, in the Oval Blank Office on Monday, May 5, 2025, in Washington.
AP photo / Alex Brandon
What happens next?
Trump’s Monday morning’s press conference will likely provide additional details on the extended federal strategy targeting both crime and homelessness.