Trump to address violent crime in D.C. at the White House during federal enforcement efforts.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he departs the White House on August 1, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Win McNamee | Getty Images

President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that he will hold a press availability at the White House next week to discuss violent crime in Washington, D.C., following an announcement about increasing federal law enforcement presence across the city. “On Monday, a Press Conference will be held at the White House which will, essentially, stop violent crime in Washington, D.C.,” he shared on social media.

Trump, who has often criticized the Democratic-led city, claimed that D.C. will “soon be one of the safest cities,” despite data indicating a decline in violent crime in the nation’s capital. This week, Trump intensified his remarks about crime in the district after a former member of the Department of Government Efficiency was assaulted in an attempted carjacking. “He went through a bad situation, to put it mildly, and there’s too much of it. We’re going to do something about it,” Trump said on Wednesday.

Trump also suggested the possibility of federalizing Washington, D.C., if local officials do not “get [their] act together, and quickly.” On Thursday, the White House announced a seven-day initiative to address crime in the city. “Washington, D.C. is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated. “President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens. Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.”

Local officials criticized Trump’s directive, expressing concerns about encroaching on “home rule,” which allows D.C. residents to elect their own mayor and council members. “Even if crime in D.C. weren’t at a historic low point, President Trump’s comments would be misguided and offensive to the more than 700,000 people who live permanently in the nation’s capital,” Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.’s nonvoting delegate, commented. “Although I won’t allow them to succeed, the Republicans pushing to repeal the Home Rule Act have no plan to run the District should they abolish the mayor’s office and D.C. Council,” she added.