President Donald Trump has called for the immediate relocation of homeless people from Washington, D.C., as part of a plan to make the city “safer and more beautiful.” Speaking on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, the president repeated his intention to hold a White House press conference on Monday, pledging to improve the appearance of the capital. “The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote. “We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong.”
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Mr Trump said the move would happen “very fast”, comparing it to his administration’s handling of border control. He did not specify what legal powers he would use to enforce the measure. Under US law, a president’s direct authority in the District of Columbia is largely limited to federal land and property.
The call comes despite statements from Washington’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, that violent crime has been declining. She told MSNBC on Sunday that the city is “not experiencing a crime spike”, noting a 26 per cent fall in violent offences in the first seven months of this year compared with 2024, and an overall seven per cent drop in crime.
Figures from The Community Partnership, a local homelessness charity, estimate that about 3,782 people in Washington are homeless on any given night, with around 800 sleeping rough. Most others are in emergency shelters or transitional housing.
The president’s comments follow reports of a teenage group assaulting a Trump administration staffer during an attempted carjacking. In response, the White House said extra federal law enforcement officers had been deployed to the city.
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Mayor Bowser acknowledged the president’s ability to call in the National Guard, citing past examples where federal authorities had acted over local objections. While Congress maintains budgetary control over Washington, D.C., since its founding in 1790, local residents have elected their own mayor and council since the Home Rule Act of 1973. Any effort by the president to take wider control would require Congress to revoke the law, with presidential approval.
