President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that the federal takeover of Washington, D.C., law enforcement could extend well beyond 30 days, saying he will push a D.C. crime bill through Congress and potentially act on his own if needed.
“We’re going to be asking for extensions on that, long-term extensions, because you can’t have 30 days,” Trump said during remarks at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Trump said he expects a crime bill that pertains “initially to D.C.” to be in front of Congress “very quickly,” though he said if it’s a national emergency, he wouldn’t need Congress at all.
“Don’t forget, in the border, everyone said it would take years, and you’d have to go back to Congress,” he said. “I never went to Congress for anything.”
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Extending the federal takeover would be an escalation of Trump’s push to take control of the nation’s capital, which he says is necessary to address crime and homelessness.
According to federal law, Trump would need Congressional approval to extend his control of the Metropolitan Police Department beyond 30 days. He has already notified some relevant congressional committees in order to extend the federalization to, but not past, the 30-day mark.
Trump said he expects Republicans to “almost unanimously” approve a crime bill and hopes for at least some Democratic support, though he wouldn’t necessarily need it to get a bill passed.
“We have the majority, so we’re going to vote it in as Republicans, and we’re going to do something, and that’s going to serve as a beacon for New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and other places all over the country,” Trump said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, who accompanied Trump to the Kennedy Center, posted later that he will work with Sen. Katie Britt to push through the White House’s D.C. crime legislation.
“Together, we will try to shepherd the DC Security Fund through Congress to give President Trump the resources he will need to improve the safety and quality of life in our nation’s capital,” he posted on X. “Every American should be behind this effort to make Washington, DC clean and safe so that it can truly become the shining city on the hill.”
When a reporter asked a question about D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s cooperation and advocacy for D.C. statehood, Trump immediately shut it down.
“We want to straighten the place out. Statehood is ridiculous. It’s unacceptable,” Trump said. “The Democrats want it because the Democrats have, you know, about 95% in this little area.”
“They want to pick up two senators, and that’s not going to happen,” Trump added. “What we want to do is make Washington, D.C., the greatest, most beautiful, safest capital anywhere in the world, and that’s going to happen.”
Trump said the federal takeover is already showing improvements in Washington. After troops rolled into city streets on Tuesday, the National Guard and law enforcement made over 40 arrests.
The president said that past crime statistics for D.C. were fraudulent, without offering any evidence.
It’s unclear which statistics Trump was referring to specifically, but the Justice Department released a statement in January saying violent crime was at a 30-year low and down over 30% from 2023 to 2024, based on Metropolitan Police Department data.
“You’re going to see a big change in Washington crime stats very soon, although not the stats that they gave because they turned out to be a total fraud. The real stats, the stats went through the roof,” Trump said. “They had a man that was forced to put up stats like they were doing better. They’re not doing better. Crime is the worst it’s ever been.”
This story has been updated with comments from Sen. Lindsey Graham.
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