President Donald Trump issued a strong warning to Washington, D.C. officials on Tuesday, saying he is prepared to take full federal control of the nation’s capital if city leaders don’t get a handle on what he described as “rampant youth violence” and lawlessness.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, blasted the current leadership in D.C. and accused them of enabling teenage criminals who commit brutal assaults and robberies only to be immediately released. He shared an image of a bloodied young man reportedly attacked by “local thugs,” writing, “They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now!”
The president called for dramatic legal reforms in the District, urging laws that allow violent minors as young as 14 to be prosecuted as adults and sentenced accordingly. “The Law in D.C. must be changed to prosecute these ‘minors’ as adults, and lock them up for a long time,” he said.
“If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly,” Trump warned, “we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore.”
Trump’s remarks come amid growing concern over youth crime in the capital. In 2024, juveniles made up the majority of robbery arrests in D.C., and 60% of carjacking arrests in early 2025 involved minors. According to law enforcement sources, the city has seen a surge in fights on school grounds and organized teen flash mobs committing crimes in public spaces.
This is not Trump’s first time raising the issue. In February, he publicly questioned whether local leaders could maintain law and order in the capital. “I think that we should govern the District of Columbia,” Trump said aboard Air Force One. “Run it strong, run it with law and order, make it absolutely flawlessly beautiful.”
Currently, Washington, D.C. operates under a “home rule” structure that allows local governance, including a Democrat-dominated city council and mayor. But Congress retains the constitutional authority to override or revoke that power. Several Republicans, including Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), have introduced legislation to revoke home rule and return full governing authority over D.C. to Congress.
Their bill explicitly blames the city’s “failure to prevent violent crime, corruption, and voting by non-citizens” as grounds for federal intervention. Trump’s comments this week suggest he may support or even accelerate those efforts if violent crime trends continue.
The president’s statements have already ignited political backlash, with D.C. officials accusing Trump of fearmongering and exploiting isolated incidents for political gain. But many residents and police unions have expressed frustration with the city’s revolving-door justice system and say federal control may be the only way to restore order.
Trump’s push for direct intervention sets the stage for a potential constitutional clash — one that could reshape how America’s capital is governed, and how aggressively the federal government responds to urban crime.
The post Trump Threatens To Take Federal Control Of D.C. To Fight Violent Crime Committed By ‘Youths’ appeared first on Real News Now.
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