President Donald Trump’s warning that he may federalize control of Washington, D.C., if the city fails to address rising violent crime comes as crime statistics reveal the nation’s capital is now less safe than many major cities in Latin America.
“Crime in Washington, D.C., is totally out of control. Local ‘youths’ and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released,” he posted on Truth Social.
“They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now! The Law in D.C. must be changed to prosecute these ‘minors’ as adults, and lock them up for a long time, starting at age 14,” he continued.
In 2024, Washington, D.C., recorded 187 homicides among its population of approximately 702,000—resulting in a murder rate of 26.6 per 100,000 residents. While this marked a 32% decrease from the 274 homicides reported in 2023, when the rate stood at roughly 41 per 100,000, the city remains among the nation’s most violent.
According to data from the Heritage Foundation, D.C.’s 2023 homicide rate of 40.9 per 100,000 placed it fourth highest in the country, trailing only New Orleans (53.8), St. Louis (53.7), and Detroit (also 40.9, but with a slightly higher total). “If D.C. were a state, it would have the highest homicide rate of any state in the United States,” the conservative think-tank noted.
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For comparison, Mexico City recorded a homicide rate of roughly 8 per 100,000 in 2023. Bogotá, Colombia, reported a rate of 14 per 100,000, while Quito, Ecuador, had a rate of 45 per 100,000—only slightly higher than Washington, D.C.’s rate that same year.
Over the weekend, former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer Edward Coristine—also known as “Big Balls”—was attacked by a group of 10 juveniles. Former DOGE chief Elon Musk later clarified that Coristine had stepped in to prevent the group from assaulting and carjacking a woman.
In June, a congressional intern for Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kan., was fatally shot in a late-night drive-by shooting. Authorities believe the victim, Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, was not the intended target. The shooter remains at large, and a $40,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest. Speaking to Fox News, Tarpinian-Jachym’s mother sharply criticized the Washington, D.C., Council, stating that residents “are not being protected.”
Just two years ago, Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, made national headlines after falling victim to an armed carjacking in Washington, D.C.’s Navy Yard neighborhood. The incident came only weeks after Just the News revealed that congressional Republicans had held a closed-door meeting with staffers and law enforcement to share safety tips on how to avoid becoming victims of violent crime.
