Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has stepped up criticism of the Trump administration’s federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The move, which included the deployment of National Guard troops, was authorized under Section 740 of the Home Rule Act.
Over the weekend, Bowser posted on X that “American soldiers and airmen policing American citizens on American soil is #UnAmerican.”
Her comments followed a lawsuit filed by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, accusing the White House of a “hostile takeover” after Drug Enforcement Administrator Terry Cole was briefly installed as “emergency police commissioner.”
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has posted statement saying:
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) August 17, 2025
“American soldiers and airmen policing American citizens on American soil is UnAmerican”
A federal judge threatened to block the order, prompting the Justice Department to keep Police Chief Pamela Smith in charge.
Bowser said she was “encouraged” by the reversal, but described the initial intervention as “unsettling and unprecedented.” She warned residents that the administration’s actions reflected an “authoritarian push.”
We have a lot to be proud of in Washington, but what I am most proud of are our people and values.
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) August 16, 2025
And what I have seen over this past week is a city that knows how to stick together.
Read my full letter to DC residents: pic.twitter.com/Nn88FG4ehE
