By RJ Morales | TX3DNews
President Donald Trump this week invoked emergency powers to take control of Washington, D.C.’s police force and deploy the National Guard — a move that has raised alarms in the capital and sparked debate about how far presidential authority can reach.
What Happened
On Monday, Trump declared a public safety emergency under Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. The 1973 law allows a president to assume temporary control of D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department during extraordinary situations. While it was written with natural disasters in mind — hurricanes, earthquakes, catastrophic floods — its language gives presidents wide discretion to define what constitutes an “emergency.”
Trump’s order federalized the city’s police for 30 days and brought in about 800 National Guard members. White House officials said the Guard’s role would focus on administrative and logistical support, including protecting federal buildings. Several hundred troops are expected to be active in the city at any given time.
The president defended the move as necessary to address crime and homelessness, calling Washington unsafe and citing high-profile incidents, including the August 3 assault of former Defense Department staffer Edward Coristine and the July killing of congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym.
What the Numbers Show
Public safety data tells a more complicated story. According to the Metropolitan Police Department and the Justice Department:
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Violent crime in Washington dropped by about 35 percent in 2024 compared with the year before.
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Homicides, robberies, and juvenile arrests have continued to decline in 2025.
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As of August 11, violent crime was down another 26 percent compared with the same period last year.
At the same time, D.C.’s homicide rate — 26 per 100,000 residents in 2024 — remains higher than many large U.S. cities. Supporters of Trump’s action point to that number, and to the recent killings, as evidence the capital still faces serious public safety challenges.
Homelessness is also a persistent issue. A 2024 survey counted 5,312 unhoused individuals in Washington. But under the traditional reading of Section 740, homelessness is not an “emergency” in the same sense as a natural disaster.
Reaction From TX-03 Candidates
Two Democrats running for Congress in Texas’ 3rd District said Trump’s order is less about safety and more about setting a precedent.
Evan Hunt, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who officially entered the race this month, said the move fits a broader pattern.
“Donald Trump has a playbook for consolidating power. Step one is to paint cities as dangerous. Step two is to create a sense of chaos. Step three is to march in under the banner of ‘restoring order’ so the takeover looks like public safety.
This week, he invoked Section 740 of the Home Rule Act — a power created to let a president step in during true emergencies like hurricanes, earthquakes, or catastrophic floods — to seize control of the D.C. police and send the National Guard into the city, claiming it was about clearing homeless encampments and a manufactured ‘crime wave.’
Homelessness is not a natural disaster, nor is it inherently violent. And many of the people living on those streets are veterans who have already served this country. Under Trump’s economic policies — cuts to housing, benefits, and the safety net — more Americans are being pushed to the brink. His answer is to send in federal forces against them.”
Jordan Wheatley, a Plano school teacher also running in TX-03, warned that Congress may soon be asked to extend Trump’s authority.
“Section 740 was created for hurricanes, earthquakes, and other true disasters, not for political crackdowns. The fact is that the violent crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low. This means President Trump’s decision isn’t about public safety, it’s about power.
His move to seize control of local police and flooding the streets with federal officers was already a dangerous precedent. Now he’s seeking Congress to pass a 30-day extension. If this passes, no city — Republican or Democrat — will be safe from federal overreach. Everyone needs to reach out to their representatives immediately. Our voices will not be silenced.”
Rep. Keith Self (R-Plano), the incumbent in TX-03, publicly supported Trump’s action. In a post on X on August 11, he wrote:
“Our nation’s capital — a federal enclave — should embody American greatness.
Yet, due to failed Democrat policies, Washington, DC, has a violent crime rate higher than some of the most dangerous places in the world.
Thank you, @POTUS, for taking action to restore law and order.”
Why It Resonates in TX-03
Though Trump’s order applies only to Washington, D.C., the precedent has sparked concern that it could normalize federal intervention in local policing. Some residents in TX-03 told TX3DNews they are uneasy with how Trump has deployed the National Guard in U.S. cities — previously in Los Angeles and now in the nation’s capital — arguing it blurs the line between military and civilian law enforcement.
Legal experts note D.C.’s unique federal status makes this different from states like Texas. Still, the debate over local versus federal authority is familiar here. Residents in Plano, McKinney, Allen, and Frisco have seen similar themes in fights over education, zoning, and transportation. Trump’s order underscores how fragile local autonomy can appear when tested by federal power.
Just this week DC Mayor Muriel Bowser left for Martha’s Vinyard while the Project: DC Takeover was getting underway. Maybe Muriel should stay and get a plan to reduce crime and more importantly fix the statistics reporting of crime. Democrat Mayors across the nation can fix the issues or President Trump and congressional Republicans will from the Capitol and White House.