Norton Statement After Trump Threatens to Federalize D.C. Police and Call in D.C. National Guard

WASHINGTON, D.C. –After President Trump suggested that Congress should repeal the D.C. Home Rule Act, threatened to federalize the D.C. Metropolitan Police and call in the D.C. National Guard to address crime, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released a statement condemning the comments and defending the right of D.C. residents to govern themselves.

“Even if crime in D.C. weren’t at a historic low point, President Trump’s comments would be misguided and offensive to the more than 700,000 people who live permanently in the nation’s capital,” Norton said. “D.C. residents, a majority of whom are Black and brown, are worthy and capable of governing themselves without interference from federal officials who are unaccountable to D.C. 

“Although I won’t allow them to succeed, the Republicans pushing to repeal the Home Rule Act have no plan to run the District should they abolish the mayor’s office and D.C. Council. Congress, whose voting members are elected to serve districts that are not D.C., would have no incentive to effectively address issues of concern to D.C. residents because D.C. residents would have no power to vote them out of office. This year alone, congressional Republicans needlessly removed a provision in the continuing resolution that resulted in preventing D.C. from spending its own locally raised funds at its own locally enacted levels. Federal interference is the problem, not the solution.

“The only permanent remedy that will protect D.C.’s ability to govern itself is enactment of my D.C. statehood bill into law.”

Violent crime in D.C. reached a more than 30-year low in 2024 and is down 26 percent this year compared to the same period last year. Republicans have introduced bills in both chambers of Congress to repeal the Home Rule Act, which aim to abolish the D.C. Council and Mayor’s office, leaving D.C. to depend on members of Congress elected by other jurisdictions to run the District.

The House of Representatives passed the D.C. statehood bill in 2020, the first time in history either chamber of Congress had passed the bill. The House passed it again in 2021. When Norton reintroduced the statehood bill on the first day of this Congress, she did so with 159 original cosponsors, the most original cosponsors of any bill introduced that first day. The bill now has 196 cosponsors. The Senate version, introduced by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), was introduced this Congress with 40 original cosponsors, and now has 43 cosponsors.

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