D.C. Fights Back Against Trump’s Takeover

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 16: Protestor holds a piece of bread as he walks past National Guard, in reference to an incident where a man threw a sandwich at a federal agent on August 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. Demonstrators took to the streets against an increased presence of law enforcement throughout the nation's capital after U.S. President Donald Trump deployed federal officers and the U.S. National Guard. (Photo by Alex Kent/Getty Images)

Donald Trump earlier this month ordered the National Guard to occupy Washington, D.C., and take control of law enforcement in the nation’s capital. The president claimed federal troops would “liberate” the city from violent crime, although crime in the city has been declining. Trump has long wanted to use the military to terrorize Democratic cities, and both he and his administration have suggested that he will soon order the military into other liberal strongholds around the United States. Meanwhile, troops continue to pour into Washington, D.C. The city’s residents — who overwhelmingly oppose the federal takeover — have responded by taking to the streets.