President Trump on Saturday touted his administration’s moves to address violence and crime in the nation’s capital, teasing that soon it would be “one of the safest” cities in the U.S.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said the administration would provide an update on Monday, after the president ordered federal law enforcement officials to patrol the streets in Washington over the next week.
“On Monday a Press Conference will be held at the White House which will, essentially, stop violent crime in Washington, D.C.,” he wrote. “It has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World.”
He added, “It will soon be one of the safest!!!”
The effort has been led by the U.S. Park Police and includes officers and agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), divisions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other agencies, according to the White House.
Friday marked the second day of the patrol and Trump added officers from the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Marshals Service to the fray. Over 120 officers were assigned to high-traffic areas and will be highly visible and marked, a White House official said.
On the first night, according to the official, arrests were made for possession of stolen firearms and illegal drugs.
Trump has previously floated a federal overhaul of the city, which would require Congressional approval.
Earlier this year, he signed an executive order to make Washington “safe and beautiful.” At the time he said Mayor Muriel Bowser was doing a good job, but warned that if things changed, the federal government would have no other choice but to step in.
The latest threats of a takeover come after a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) official, known as “Big Balls,” was attacked in the city by a group of teenagers. Two 15-year-olds were arrested in connection to the incident and charged for the attempted carjacking.
The president has pushed the city council to upgrade its laws to allow teens 14 and older to be tried as adults. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro has also supported the idea.
“They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now!” Trump posted Tuesday on Truth Social, with a graphic photo. “The Law in D.C. must be changed to prosecute these ‘minors’ as adults, and lock them up for a long time, starting at age 14.”
He said, “The most recent victim was beaten mercilessly by local thugs.”
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller also compared crime in the nation’s capital to foreign war zones on Thursday, calling Washington “more violent than Baghdad.” Crime in the district, however, hit a 30-year low last year.
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