President Donald Trump has announced a dramatic move to take direct control of Washington, D.C.’s policing, invoking the D.C. Home Rule Act to place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal authority. In the same order, he authorized the deployment of the National Guard across the capital.

Calling the move “Liberation Day in D.C.,” Trump declared, “We’re going to take our capital BACK.” The decision effectively sidelines D.C.’s local government from overseeing its own law enforcement, shifting authority to federal hands.

While Trump did not specify the exact timeline for how long the federal control will last, the decision is already drawing sharp responses. Supporters say it will restore safety and order, while critics warn it is a dangerous precedent that undermines local autonomy.

Legal and political analysts note that the D.C. Home Rule Act grants Congress — and by extension, the president — certain powers over the district that would not apply in U.S. states, making such a takeover possible but highly controversial.

This unprecedented step comes amid heightened political tension in the nation’s capital and is likely to spark both legal challenges and widespread debate.