Trump orders homeless eviction in Washington DC

Trump frames a plan to move homeless residents out of the capital and deploy troops as a safety measure, triggering a clash over local autonomy.

Trump pushes homeless eviction in Washington DC

President Donald Trump announced a news conference about a plan to remove homeless people from Washington DC and to consider deploying hundreds of National Guard troops. He said the measures aim to stop crime and improve the capital’s cleanliness, while signaling a possible shift in how the district is governed. Bowser responded by questioning the premise of a crime spike and highlighting that violent crime has fallen to a multi-decade low, though gun violence remains a concern. The White House has floated legal questions about DC’s Home Rule Act, which would require Congress action to alter local authority. Officials told Reuters that the National Guard deployment is still being finalized, and local officials have expressed caution about federal involvement in routine city policing and welfare decisions.

The plan tests a long-standing line between federal power and local governance in the nation’s capital. Framing crime and homelessness as national political issues can shift attention from local policy debates and raise questions about civil rights and humanitarian impacts. If federal action proceeds, it could set a precedent for external control over a city that operates under limited autonomy, with budget and implementation questions still to be resolved. The move also underscores how crime narratives are used in national campaigns, potentially affecting public perception and policy priorities in the months ahead.

Highlights

The coming weeks will reveal how far political theater will push policy and what rights residents will retain.