In a striking admission on Wednesday, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat and frequent critic of President Donald J. Trump, reportedly credited the president’s aggressive crime-fighting policies with producing an 87 percent drop in carjackings across the capital.
At a press conference, Bowser lauded Trump’s decision to deploy federal resources — including the National Guard, FBI, DEA, ATF, and Park and Capitol Police — to bolster the Metropolitan Police Department. The president’s intervention, once a lightning rod for partisan controversy, has shown results difficult to dispute.
“The federal crime, the federal surge has had a significant decrease on crime in Washington, D.C.,” Bowser said, pointing to a chart that tracked the rapid decline in violent offenses. “And we greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance what MPD has been able to do in this city.”
The most dramatic improvement, she noted, came in the city’s carjacking crisis. “The most significant thing that we are highlighting today is the area of crime that was most troubling for us in 2023,” Bowser explained. “Now we have driven it down over the last years, but … for carjackings, the difference between this period, this 20-day period of this federal surge and last year, represents an 87% reduction in carjackings in Washington, D.C.”
Bowser emphasized the wider impact of the federal crackdown, linking the decline in carjackings with reduced gun crime, robberies, and homicides. “We know that when carjackings go down, when the use of gun goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer,” she said. “So this surge has been important to us for that reason.”
Her remarks marked a rare moment of bipartisan acknowledgment in a city where local Democratic leaders have long resisted federal involvement in local policing. Trump’s decision to override D.C.’s home-rule autonomy by taking direct control of the Metropolitan Police Department was sharply criticized by progressives at the time. Yet Bowser’s statements suggest the policy has delivered the intended effect — restoring order in neighborhoods plagued by violence.
In recent years, the capital has struggled with surging crime rates, particularly in auto thefts and armed carjackings that left many residents fearful. Trump, who made law and order a centerpiece of both his first term and his reelection campaign, responded by asserting a federal responsibility to act where local measures had fallen short.
Bowser acknowledged the president’s personal engagement with the effort, noting her frequent discussions with senior administration officials. “I have been personally engaged with Attorney General [Pam] Bondi and the president’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles,” she said. “And I spoke with the president this afternoon. I was reminded of our first meeting after his re-election, where we discussed shared priorities for the district.”
The mayor added that Trump’s involvement reflected a longstanding interest in urban issues. “I was reminded that the president’s interest in cities predates his time in office, and his knowledge of D.C. had significantly increased from the first time he was in the White House.”
For now, the results speak for themselves: a city once grappling with spiraling crime now sees one of its most pressing threats dramatically reduced, and even a Democratic mayor is willing to give President Trump credit.
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