On August 11, 2025, a shocking development was announced by US President Trump and the White House: the US federal government federalised Washington DC, the nation’s capital. The order was made under the pretext of a public safety emergency in the city, due to heightened levels of crime.
Contrary to the Trump administration’s assertions, data shows that crime has been following a downward trend: as reported by Axios, violent crime is down 26 per cent, robberies are down 19 per cent, and sexual abuse is down 49 per cent, according to the official Metropolitan Police Department.
The conversation began when a member of the Department of Government Efficiency, an initiative aimed at reducing waste, was attacked in DC, providing President Trump with an opportunity he desired to seize.
Trump already tested the waters by employing an authoritarian model in Los Angeles. To squash anti-immigration protests, the federal government sent in the National Guard and the US Marines, leading to a showdown between the protesters and federal forces.
By using the U.S. military to silence the protesters, Donald Trump propelled them to carry out his personal agenda. LA protests and the military involvement served as crucial benchmarks for the federal government. It signaled to President Trump that the Supreme Court and other federal courts are mostly complacent with his actions. A general lack of mobilisation among the Democratic leadership and the public further bolstered him and his cause. Now the federal force has been deployed in DC for similar reasons.
The worrying aspect of the politicisation of the military is that it gives President Trump broader control to dictate to cities and states that don’t comply with the federal government on various issues.
For instance, New York City, a historically liberal city, is a sanctuary city. By definition, the local and state governments of New York do not necessarily have to cooperate with federal authorities on a wide array of issues.
Especially in the case of immigration, sanctuary city policies, such as NYC’s, limit the cooperation between the federal and local authorities. As President Trump’s immigration agenda skirts the lines of the law, often denying people their fundamental right to due process, NYC is growing more resistant to the administration’s dictates. That explains why immigration operations are being carried out at a limited scale in NYC.
Since ICE’s budget has increased under Trump's domestic agenda bill, the rate of immigration raids in the coming months is bound to grow exponentially. It may be arduous for federal authorities to conduct these raids without the express approval of the local authorities. Though if local governments assist them, it would be a great development for the Trump deportation agenda.
Thus, by implementing these arrangements in LA and DC, the Trump administration aims to replicate the model in a way that minimises opposition to its efforts. Even as sentiments run high, there would be little that people and the local governments would be able to do, legally.
Trump can also deploy federal forces to curb the influence of his political foes. With Zohran Mamdani winning the NY primary and having a high likelihood of winning the mayoral election, the notion that the Trump administration would try to take over the city through the use of the military is not far-fetched.
Trump has even hinted at such a possibility, saying, “I am gonna look at NY in a little while”, according to CBS News. Thus, for him, it would be immensely beneficial to hit two birds with one stone: quash the opposition. Take away people’s rights and eviscerate independent city and state policies by federalising them.
During the press conference on the morning of August 11, there was also a mention of other Democrat-led cities. In particular, Chicago was among the mainstream cities the administration wishes to tame. Interestingly, Chicago and NYC share a commonality: they are both sanctuary cities, with limited federal cooperation. Under the pretence of a crime epidemic, President Trump is unlawfully cementing his control over democratic cities, expressing a clear disregard for local politics.
Last, but certainly not least, a grave issue is at stake here. As the midterm elections approach, it will be very important for the Republican Party to retain a strong majority in the House of Representatives. To solidify support and votes, the Republican-led government of Texas, one of the largest states, attempted to gerrymander and redistrict constituencies to ensure a victory, leading to great chaos in local politics. Democrats in the state fled to block the proposal, causing significant disruption.
If President Trump is given a clean slate to dictate the management of mainstream cities such as NYC and Chicago, the chances of election hindrance will likely be very high, as the ruling administration will try every trick up its sleeve to hold on to power.
This should serve as a warning to Democrats. If there is continued immobilisation among their ranks and the disconnect with the public persists, their dreams of once again walking the corridors of power will remain a far-fetched fantasy.
The writer lives in New York and aspires to be a legal scholar. He can be reached at: alibilal4471@gmail.com
