FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 08/11/25 It’s “Liberation Day” in Washington, D.C.

Today, President Donald J. Trump took bold executive action to liberate Washington, D.C., from the cesspool of crime and homelessness that it has become after decades of unilateral Democrat leadership. President Trump outlined his plan this morning: “This is Liberation Day in D.C. — and we’re going to take our capital BACK.” (Watch)   “We’re declaring a public safety emergency in the District of Columbia — and Attorney General Pam Bondi is taking command of the Metropolitan Police Department as of this moment.” (Watch)   “They’ll immediately begin massive enforcement operations targeting known gangs, drug dealers and criminal networks to get them the hell off the street.” (Watch)   “The murder rate in Washington today is higher than that of Bogotá, Colombia, Mexico City... The number of car thefts has doubled over the past five years, and the number of carjackings has more than tripled.” (Watch)   “This dire public safety crisis stems directly from the abject failures of the city’s local leadership.” (Watch) President Trump’s action to end the lawlessness is welcome news to residents and visitors alike: “The mayor seems not to have enough control of the activities that are arising,” says a man whose three-year-old granddaughter was shot and killed in D.C.   “This isn’t a partisan issue; this is a public safety issue,” says a former D.C. advisory neighborhood commissioner.   “If it’s going to stop the crime, then yeah — it’s necessary,” says a resident whose neighborhood was recently rocked by a violent shootout.   “I’m so happy they’re doing that because this is the capital of the United States and we have to make people want to come and visit. It’s awesome we have extra police presence to keep everybody safe and have them coming back,” says a visitor to the nation’s capital.   “Some days, I feel unsafe going outside,” says a D.C. resident.   “I almost feel a little desensitized to it, in a way, because it seems to be of the norm,” laments a D.C. resident after repeated instances of violence in her neighborhood.   “We got caught in the middle of a drive-by shooting, so that was horrible,” says a D.C. resident.   “They need to do more about the juvenile crime. I think it’s because they keep letting them go — no deterrent,” says a D.C. resident.  During the campaign, President Trump promised to make our capital city “safe and beautiful“ for all Americans — and he is delivering.