President Donald Trump recieved a ringing endorsement from a surprising group after he announced Monday morning that he was “federalizing” Washington, D.C., after declaring a crime emergency.
In a bold statement, the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police union said its members welcome the Trump administration’s federalization of the department — a setback for Mayor Muriel Bowser and other liberals who have accused the president of indifference toward crime in the nation’s capital.
Union Chair Gregg Pemberton praised President Donald Trump’s move to take control of the Metropolitan Police Department and bolster its ranks with National Guard troops and FBI agents, calling the action a “critical stopgap” in the face of “out-of-control” crime.
“We stand with the President in recognizing that Washington, D.C., cannot continue on this trajectory,” union Chair Gregg Pemberton said in a statement. “Crime is out of control, and our officers are stretched beyond their limits. The federal intervention is a critical stopgap, but the MPD needs proper staffing and support to thrive.”
Recent estimates indicate the Metropolitan Police Department is operating with roughly 500 fewer officers than the union’s recommended staffing levels — one of the lowest headcounts in decades. The department currently has about 4,000 officers on its roster, according to The Hill.
Critics have attacked President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi over the federal takeover, pointing to a recent decline in crime as evidence the move is both dangerous and unwarranted. Following Trump’s Monday press conference, Mayor Muriel Bowser called the decision “unsettling.”
“The Home Rule Charter requires the mayor to provide the services of MPD during special conditions of an emergency. And we will follow the law. Though there’s a question about the subjectivity of that declaration,” Bowser said.
Trump declared a crime emergency under a provision of the Home Rule Act of 1973, a law passed by Congress and signed by President Richard Nixon, that granted Washington, D.C., more power to govern itself. Under the original Constitution, the special “district” that serves as the nation’s capital is to be overseen exclusively by Congress.
