NAACP STATEMENT ON TRUMP THREATENING TO TAKE OVER D.C.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 11, 2025
Contact: Chyna Fields, cfields@naacpnet.org

WASHINGTON — Today, President Trump announced that he would deploy the National Guard to take federal control of the Washington, D.C. police department as an unfounded effort against crime in the nation’s capital. 

NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson, released the following statement: 

“The brave men and women who make up the National Guard are our country’s defense against domestic emergencies and natural disasters, not weapons against American citizens. Deploying the National Guard in this way is not only disgraceful to our troops, but it’s a waste of taxpayer dollars and is built on a lie. 

“Trump says rising violence in the capital endangers the public, but the Department of Justice reported that violent crime is down 35%, a 30-year low. 

“There’s no emergency in D.C., so why would he deploy the National Guard? To distract us from his alleged inclusion in the Epstein files? To rid the city of unhoused people? D.C. has the right to govern itself. It doesn’t need this federal coup. 

“This president campaigned on ‘law and order,’ but he is the president of chaos and corruption.”

Carmel Henry, J.D., President of the NAACP Washington D.C. Branch, added:

“Donald Trump is not concerned about the needs of District residents. Trump’s actions are rooted in racism, establishing an authoritarian regime, and White Nationalism.  Over the last year, crime rates have significantly declined in the District, and the National Guard is not warranted. These actions are self-serving and seek to distract residents from important constitutional and budgetary issues.”

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