DC residents name Trump’s federalization plan a ‘horrible thought’ | USAEMALL.com

President Donald Trump shared new details on Monday about his plan to take control of public safety in Washington, D.C., following a brutal attack on a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer, but D.C. residents aren’t convinced. 

Trump announced on Monday that he is activating the District of Columbia National Guard and seizing control of the Metropolitan Police Department after floating the idea since last week’s assault in Washington’s Logan Circle. 

Some Washington residents who spoke to Fox News Digital called it a “terrible idea” that “doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

“I think D.C. politics should stay with D.C., and, unfortunately, the federal government is apparently overstepping their bounds right now, so I hope that D.C. is allowed to govern itself, as well as police itself,” one Washington resident told Fox News Digital ahead of Trump’s announcement. 

TRUMP IS THREATENING TO ‘FEDERALIZE’ DC WITH NATIONAL GUARD AND MORE. HERE’S HOW THAT COULD PLAY OUT

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump controversially federalized the California National Guard amid anti-ICE protests that delved into riots in Los Angeles in June. Protesters were rejecting the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations and Trump’s robust immigration crackdown.

TRUMP ADMIN CUTTING $20M IN DC SECURITY FUNDING AFTER FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ORDERED TO INCREASE PRESENCE

The president bypassed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s authority to deploy National Guard troops to support ICE deportation. It was the first time a president federalized the National Guard without the governor’s request in more than 60 years. 

Now, the tension between local and federal powers is unfolding in the nation’s capital. But just like in California, many Washington residents have concerns about seeing “troops on our streets.”

“We have laws for a reason,” one resident told Fox News Digital. 

“Privatizing security is a terrible idea, and I think anything that Trump does is garbage,” another Washington resident added. 

U.S. National Guard were deployed around downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, June 8, 2025, following an immigration raid protest the night before.  (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Despite their apprehension about National Guard troops patrolling the nation’s capital, many residents said something needs to be done to address crime in Washington, D.C.

While the Department of Justice indicated a 30-year low in violent crime last year, concerns about the city’s safety linger, with one resident telling Fox News Digital, “The city is getting dangerous.”

“I think it’s a good idea,” one resident said of Trump’s new plan. “It’s something that needs to be done for the city to be safe. Right now, we’re not safe. The kids and the teenagers are doing everything. So yeah, I think that’s a great idea.”

And another Washington resident said, “We need all the protection that we can get in the city, because the city is really getting dangerous,” telling Fox News Digital that she has to “make sure to come home before sundown” and she is afraid of getting robbed when she gets off public transportation.  

FBI and Border Patrol officers arrest a man along the U Street corridor during a federal law enforcement deployment to the nation’s capital on Aug. 10, 2025, in Washington, D.C.  (Andrew Leyden/Getty Images)

“Things do seem out of control and desperate, but I don’t know what kind of numbers to take, what numbers to read. One minute they’ll say crime is out of control. Next minute, they will say crime is down a certain percentage. It’s kind of confusing, and I don’t know who to believe in and which way to go, to be honest,” a Washington resident said, articulating the dichotomy between the low crime statistics and the alarming crime stories. 

But another D.C. resident said, “There’s no way he should be in control of anything,” and Washington, D.C., “should be a state,” so the district has more power to make decisions for itself. 

“I don’t think it’s necessary,” another Washington resident added. “I do think there needs to be some change within [the] Metropolitan [Police Department] because safety is an issue.”

She added: “It needs to be localized.”

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stacy contributed to this report.