Aaron Reichlin-Melnick
‪@reichlinmelnick.bsky.social‬

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Trump is invoking Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act, which authorizes him to seize control of the entire DC police department for a maximum of 30 days.

This is insane stuff. D.C. is not in the grip of a crime wave. Crime has been falling for three years now. Violent crime is at a 30-year low.
Emergency Control of Police: SEC. 740. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever the President of the United States determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the Metropolitan Police force for Federal purposes, he may direct the Mayor to provide him, and the Mayor shall provide, such services of the Metropolitan Police force as the President may deem necessary. In no case, however, shall such services made available able pureuaiit to any such direction under this subsection extend for a period in excess of forty-eight hours unless the President has, prior to the expiration of such period, notified the Chairman and ranking minority Members of the Committees on the District of Columbia of the Senate and the House of Representatives, in writing, as to the reason for such direction and the period of time during which the need for such services is likely to continue.
(b) Subject to the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, such services made available in accordance with subsection (a) of this section shall terminate upon the end of such emergency, the expiration of a period of thirty days following the date oh which such services are first made available, or the adoption of a resolution by either the Senate or the House of Representatives providing for such termination, whichever first occurs. (c) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, in any case in which such services are made available in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section during any period of an adjournment of the Congress sine die, such services shall terminate upon the end of the emergency, the expiration of the thirty-day period following the date on which Congress first convenes following such adjournment, or the adoption of a resolution by either the Senate or the House of Representatives providing for such termination, whichever first occurs, (d) Except to the extent provided for in subsection …
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‪Judd Legum‬
‪@juddlegum.bsky.social‬
· 1h
Trump announces he's taking over the DC police department to rescue the city from "crime, bloodshed, and bedlam."

Violent crime in DC reached a 30 year low in 2024 and is down sharply again this year.

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August 11, 2025 at 11:29 AM