Trump Declares ‘Liberation Day’ as He Vows To Clean Up D.C. With Plans To Federalize Law Enforcement Efforts

‘Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR,’ he boasts on social media.

AP/Jose Luis Magana
The U.S. Capitol at Washington. AP/Jose Luis Magana

President Trump is preparing to send hundreds of National Guard troops out onto the streets of Washington, D.C., as part of his plans to federalize a crackdown of crime within the nation’s capital.

The president is expected to detail his plan to combat crime in the capital on Monday morning. It was not immediately clear what the plan entails, but the National Guard is already making plans for the anticipated deployment, according to two federal officials who spoke to Reuters.

Mr. Trump took to social media in advance of his press conference to declare that Monday would be “Liberation Day.”

“LIBERATION DAY IN D.C. WE ARE TAKING OUR CAPITAL BACK,” he wrote on Truth Social. A few minutes later, the president expanded upon his thoughts in a subsequent post.

“Washington, D.C. will be LIBERATED today! Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR. I will, MAKE OUR CAPITAL GREAT AGAIN!” the president wrote. “The days of ruthlessly killing, or hurting, innocent people, are OVER! I quickly fixed the Border (ZERO ILLEGALS in last 3 months!), D.C. is next!!!”

Mr. Trump first gave an indication that a new plan for federalization of D.C. law-enforcement on Sunday night, in a post on Truth Social

“I’m going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before,” Mr. Trump said in the post. “The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong. It’s all going to happen very fast, just like the Border. We went from millions pouring in, to ZERO in the last few months.” 

“This will be easier — Be prepared! There will be no ‘MR. NICE GUY.’ We want our Capital BACK.”

The president has already sent out 450 officers from 18 different federal agencies, including from the FBI and the Secret Service, to conduct patrols in high-traffic areas throughout the city. A total of 120 FBU agents have been temporarily reassigned to night patrol of various neighborhoods at D.C., according to a report from the Washington Post.

“In just a few nights, federal law enforcement officers have already played a vital role in deterring crime, arresting criminals, and getting dangerous drugs and weapons off the streets,” a White House spokeswoman, Abigail Jackson, said to USA Today.

In a separate post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump called D.C.’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, to task for what he calls an increase in crime.

“The Mayor of D.C., Muriel Bowser, is a good person who has tried, but she has been given many chances, and the Crime Numbers get worse, and the City only gets dirtier and less attractive,” he said.

Despite Mr. Trump perceptions, Washington saw a decline in violent crime in 2024, seeing a 30-year low, according to figures from the Department of Justice, a trend in line with cities across the country.

Homicides in the district are down by more than 10 percent compared to last year, sex abuse is down by nearly 50 percent, and robbery is down by almost 30 percent, according to 2025 year-to-date data from the Metropolitan Police Department.

“Any comparison to a war-torn country is hyperbolic and false,” Ms. Bowser said on Sunday during an interview on MSNBC.

“Now, if the priority is to show force in an American city, we know he can do that here. But it won’t be because there’s a spike in crime.”


The New York Sun

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