On August 12, 2025, President Donald Trump deployed the Washington, D.C. National Guard into the nation's capital and declared federal control of the D.C. Police Department under the Home Rule Act of 1973. On August 11, 2025, one day before this, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Washington, D.C. will be LIBERATED today!" This announcement came after the first day of a trial regarding Trump's deployment of the National Guard in the state of California in June. The Home Rule Act grants President Trump (or any sitting president) the right to take control of the D.C. police force for up to 48 hours provided "special conditions of an emergency nature exist." This is the first time in history that a president has used the act to take control of the city's police department. Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, D.C., said the takeover was "unsettling and unprecedented." Trump said the intended use of the police and National Guard forces was to target criminals and poor or houseless people, stating "Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people."