Trump declares DC a 'crime free zone' in push for cities to 'work with us'
President Trump declared Washington, D.C., a “crime free zone” and pushed for other Democratic-run cities to work with his administration to bring down the crime rate in their areas.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump touted the “very popular” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and urged other Democrats to follow her lead in welcoming federal support, which administration officials have teased might be coming to other cities.
“Wow! Mayor Muriel Bowser of D.C. has become very popular because she worked with me and my great people in bringing CRIME down to virtually NOTHING in D.C.,” Trump wrote in his post.
Trump contrasted Bowser’s approach to that of other high-profile Democratic officials who have vocally criticized the deployment of federal troops, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
“Her statements and actions were positive, instead of others like Pritzker, Wes Moore, Newscum, and the 5% approval rated Mayor of Chicago, who spend all of their time trying to justify violent Crime, instead of working with us to completely ELIMINATE it, which we have done in Washington, D.C., NOW A CRIME FREE ZONE,” Trump continued.
He pushed other cities to seek a similar outcome.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to say that about Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and even the Crime Drenched City of Baltimore??? It can happen, and it can happen FAST! Work with us!!!”
“Congratulations to Mayor Muriel Bowser, but don’t go Woke on us,” Trump later added in the post. “D.C. is a GIANT VICTORY that never has to end!!!”
Since Aug. 7, when Trump ordered a federal law enforcement surge in the District, overall crime in the nation’s capital has decreased by 14 percent and violent crime has decreased by 39 percent, when compared with the same 25-day period in 2024, according to Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) data released on Monday.
Within the “violent crime” category, homicides have declined by 58 percent, robberies have declined by 57 percent and sex abuse crimes have declined by 40 percent, while assaults with a deadly weapon increased by 8 percent. Carjackings, a subset of robberies, declined by 82 percent.
The city has also seen a noticeable year-over-year decline in property crime: Burglaries declined by 49 percent, motor vehicle thefts declined by 35 percent, thefts from auto declined by 8 percent and thefts increased by 1 percent.
At the same time, MPD arrests have increased by 25 percent, firearm recoveries increased by 20 percent and calls for service increased by 14 percent.
At a press conference last week, Bowser stressed the need for more police officers in the city, saying the federal surge has given MPD officers the added support they have long needed.
“This federal surge has had a significant increase on crime in Washington, D.C., and we greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance what MPD has been able to do in this city,” Bowser said at a press conference.
“We know that when carjackings go down, when use of gun goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer,” she added. “So this surge has been important to us for that reason.”
However, Bowser also indicated the presence of masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and out-of-town National Guard troops around the city was "not working."
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday teased the possibility of federal law enforcement intervention in Chicago and other Democratic-run cities, following Trump’s crackdown on crime in D.C.
Noem added her department plans to “add more resources” to its operations in Chicago when asked about forthcoming plans for the Windy City on CBS News’s “Face the Nation.”
“We’ve already had ongoing operations with ICE in Chicago and throughout Illinois and other states, making sure that we’re upholding our laws. But we do intend to add more resources to those operations,” she said.