The Trump administration recently federalized the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, taking control of the city’s 3,200 police officers and 650 professional staff for 30 days — the maximum allowed under Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act.

This provision, signed into law by President Richard Nixon in December 1973, permits presidential control of the MPD during declared emergencies. It had never been invoked — until now.

So, what was Trump’s justification? A “crime emergency.” He claimed the nation’s capital had been overtaken by “crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor.” Except that it hasn’t.

As a longtime resident of the D.C. area — having arrived from Manila in 1986, with a five-year detour in Los Angeles — I’ve lived here continuously since 1995. I’ve witnessed the city transform from a violence-plagued, impoverished, and poorly governed metropolis into a vibrant, resilient capital worthy of its name.

When I first worked downtown, D.C. was a ghost town by nightfall. Federal workers fled to the suburbs, and the streets emptied. Walking alone after dark meant risking a mugging — or worse.

In the late 1980s and early ’90s, crime was rampant. In 1991, D.C. recorded 482 homicides — a staggering rate of 81 murders per 100,000 residents. Outside the affluent enclaves of Northwest, much of the city was gripped by lawlessness.

What changed? A succession of highly effective mayors radically revitalized the city through bold reforms. Neighborhood policing, expanded hiring, school system improvements, pro-business policies, and redevelopment of blighted areas all helped turn the tide.

After the chaos of the Marion Barry years, leaders like Sharon Pratt Kelly (1991–1995), Anthony Williams (1999–2007), Adrian Fenty (2007–2011), Vincent Gray (2011–2015), and current Mayor Muriel Bowser ushered in a new era of competence and vision.

Today, D.C.’s crime rate is the lowest it’s been in 30 years — down 26 percent from 2024.

Trump’s talk of “bloodshed and bedlam” is hard to square with reality, unless he’s referring to 6 January 2021 when thousands of his supporters stormed the Capitol, resulting in five deaths and injuries to 170 law enforcement officers.

As for “squalor,” one need only look at the gleaming towers on K Street, the revitalized Wharf, Buzzard Point, Capitol Riverfront, Navy Yard, and the Anacostia Riverwalk.

So, what truly justifies federalizing the D.C. police and deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to a peaceful, progressive, and booming city that generates over $10 billion in annual tax revenue?

Nothing. Yes, D.C. still faces challenges — crime reduction, homelessness — but so does every major American city. Arresting unhoused residents, many of whom suffer from mental illness, is not a solution. And these tactics are conspicuously absent in red states and cities.

We must remember the days when Congress micromanaged D.C. — when residents had to call a congressman to fix a pothole. If D.C. were a state, its 700,000 residents would rank above Wyoming and Vermont in population. Its median household income of over $93,000 places it in the top five nationally. Its GDP per capita ranks among the highest, fueled by federal agencies, law firms, and research institutions.

Washington, D.C. is a thriving, minority-led autonomous jurisdiction — wealthy, resilient, and self-governed. Trump’s federal takeover lays bare a deeper truth: the enduring contempt for a city that dares to chart its own course.

For 30 days, he will impose his will on the District, transforming it into a police state marked by checkpoints, unwarranted arrests, and sweeping detentions — an occupation in all but name, reminiscent of Paris under German control.