U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he was putting Washington’s police department under federal control and ordering the National Guard to deploy to the nation’s capital to combat what he said was a wave of lawlessness, despite statistics showing that violent crime hit a 30-year low in 2024.

“I’m deploying the National Guard to help re-establish law, order and public safety in Washington, D.C.,” Trump told reporters at the White House, flanked by administration officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney-General Pam Bondi. “Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals.”

Trump’s announcement is his latest effort to target Democratic cities by exercising executive power over traditionally local matters. He has dismissed criticism that he is manufacturing a crisis to justify expanding presidential authority.

Hundreds of officers and agents from over a dozen federal agencies, including the FBI, ICE, DEA, and ATF, have already fanned out across the city in recent days.