Trump Deploys National Guard & Orders Federal Takeover of DC Police, But Did Nothing During the Jan. 6th Attack

This week, President Trump declared a "crime emergency" and ordered a full-scale federal response to what he described as a "lawless" capital city. He announced that he was taking control of the D.C. police force and deploying 800 National Guard members, despite strong objections from local officials. 

At a press conference, he said, “we’re going to clean it up real quick,” and “we're going to take our capital back.” He also posted on Truth Social, “The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. . . The Criminals, you don't have to move out. We're going to put you in jail where you belong.” His comments were met with immediate backlash from local leaders, including D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who told MSNBC, "that's not the most efficient use of our Guard."

According to the Metropolitan Police Department and a report from the Department of Justice, violent crime in D.C. fell by 35% in 2024 compared to 2023, reaching its lowest level in over 30 years. This decline included a 32% drop in homicides and a 53% reduction in armed carjackings. This trend continued into the first half of 2025, with violent crime down an additional 26% compared to the same period in 2024.

The January 6th Failure to Act

Trump’s swift and decisive action stands in stark contrast to his response on January 6, 2021, when a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to stop the certification of the 2020 election. On that day, the deployment of the National Guard was notoriously delayed, leaving Capitol Police officers overwhelmed.

The then-acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller testified that there was no "order from the president" to deploy the military. A Pentagon official was also quoted expressing concerns about the "optics" of sending the National Guard to the Capitol. As the Capitol was being overrun, the D.C. National Guard was ready to respond but was held back for several hours, with one official saying, "We had people at the D.C. Armory who are able to help, and they’re not moving. They’re not allowed to move."

While Trump has been quick to use the Guard to crack down on protesters and perceived crime in other instances like the LA Riots, he was slow to deploy them against a mob that was committing violence in his name. As Bowser stated at a press conference: “I think I speak for all Americans—we don't believe it's legal to use the American military against American citizens on American soil.”