Trump Calls It ‘Liberation Day’ in D.C., Floats Troops to Clear Streets
Within hours, there was a noticeable shift on the streets. More federal agents were moving around, working alongside local police in certain neighborhoods. Officials said the extra boots on the ground were meant to “support public safety,” but the scale of the presence hinted at something larger.
That “something” could be the arrival of the National Guard. Trump is openly weighing the idea of bringing in up to a thousand Guard members, with a mission that would include dismantling homeless encampments and moving people to facilities far outside the District. He says it’s about restoring order and cleaning up public spaces.
City Hall isn’t buying the crisis narrative. The mayor pointed to fresh numbers showing violent crime is down sharply from last year, calling the talk of federal takeover both misleading and dangerous. She warned that such a move could sidestep local authority in ways D.C. hasn’t seen in decades.
The clash is more than just a fight over crime stats. Washington has always lived in a political gray zone — not a state, yet home to hundreds of thousands of residents who pay taxes but don’t have the same control over their own government. Whether “Liberation Day” becomes a point of pride or a political firestorm will depend on what happens next, and how the people living here feel once the dust settles.
