President Donald Trump recently asserted that homicides and violent crime in Washington D.C. have surged, calling the situation an unprecedented “crime emergency” and taking the extraordinary step to federalize the city’s police force and deploy the National Guard. However, data from law enforcement sources and independent analyses reveal a different picture.
Contrary to President Trump’s claims, violent crime in Washington D.C. is actually declining. According to data released by the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the violent crime rate has been dropping significantly. In 2024, D.C. experienced a 30-year low in violent crime, with numbers falling 35% from the previous year. Early data from the first half of 2025 continues to show a downward trend, with violent crime decreasing 26% compared to the same period in 2024.
Specifically, carjackings, which President Trump claimed “tripled,” are down by 37% so far this year. Homicides have also fallen by about 12% year-over-year, with 98 homicides reported through mid-2025. While homicide rates are still higher than they were a decade ago, the recent trend is downward rather than the “highest rate probably ever,” as stated by Trump during his press conference.
The Justice Department’s January 2025 statement corroborated these declines, highlighting the sustained reduction in crime since the 2023 citywide crime wave. These figures demonstrate that although crime remains a concern, the narrative of a crime crisis reaching historic highs is misleading.
In response to the data and President Trump’s actions, city authorities along with federal agencies are now working to define their roles and develop strategies to maintain public safety effectively. While the president promises to “restore the city back to the gleaming capital that everybody wants it to be,” critics argue that federalizing the police force may complicate local law enforcement efforts given the improving statistics.
This controversy also reflects the broader political tensions surrounding urban crime narratives. President Trump has repeatedly pointed to violence in major Democratic-led cities to frame a national crime emergency. His recent declaration in D.C., however, stands at odds with the statistical evidence which shows crime dropping to its lowest levels in decades.
Experts caution that while any violent crime is serious, policy decisions should be grounded in accurate data rather than inflated claims. As Washington D.C. moves forward, continued monitoring of crime trends and cooperation between federal and local agencies will be critical in addressing ongoing public safety challenges.