‘Hands Are Tied’: Mayor Says There’s Not Much She Can Do About Trump’s Crackdown

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser claimed her “hands are tied” Tuesday in response to President Donald Trump unleashing the National Guard to combat crime in the nation’s capital, according to Fox5 D.C.

The president announced on August 11 a “public safety emergency” in D.C. and deployed the National Guard to reestablish “law and order.” Bowser told reporters that her office and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) would “follow the law” as their hands are tied by Trump’s authority on the matter, Fox5 reported. (RELATED: DC Resident Tells Washington Post City Is Safe After Outlet Grants Him Anonymity For Safety)

“I believe that the president’s view of DC is shaped by his COVID-era experience during his first term. And it is true that those were more challenging times related to some issues,” Bowser told reporters, according to Fox5. “We experienced a crime spike post-COVID, but we worked quickly to put laws in place and tactics that got violent offenders off our streets and gave our police officers more tools, which is why we have seen a huge decrease in crime.”

Bowser touted recent crime statistics in a post Tuesday on X, stating that her administration’s efforts were working and that “we aren’t taking our foot off the gas.”

Violent crime in DC is at its lowest level in 30 years.

We had an unacceptable spike in 2023, so we changed our laws and strategies. Now, crime levels are not only down from 2023, but from before the pandemic.

Our tactics are working, and we aren’t taking our foot off the gas. pic.twitter.com/UHpCT8RDPG

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) August 12, 2025

The National Guard will retain control of MPD for 30 days under the emergency order, according to Fox5. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the administration will reevaluate after the initial 30 days are up.

“But within these 30 days, our entire focus is on making sure that this is the most efficient operation possible and that we are removing as many criminals from the streets,” Leavitt said, according to Fox5. “And we are cleaning up DC as best as we can, and working with the Metropolitan Police Department to do that.”

Violent crime in the nation’s capital dropped by 26% in 2024. There have been 100 homicides in 2025 compared to 113 the previous year, according to the MPD crime tracker. In May, two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot and killed outside of the Capital Jewish Museum and just a month later, in June, 21-year-old congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym was shot and killed in a gang-related incident. (RELATED: ‘Just The Beginning’: Jeanine Pirro Shares What’s Next In Crackdown On Crime In DC)

A D.C. resident told The Washington Post Monday he believed the city was overall “safe” but expressed concerns about gang threats and groups wandering around the city “checking for unlocked cars and things to steal.” The resident spoke on the condition of anonymity with the Post due to “concerns of personal safety.”

U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro, said during a press conference on August 7that the D.C. Council’s rules prevented her from issuing harsher sentences to offenders and subsequently emboldened criminals.

“We got to have the ability to let people know that they’re gonna be accountable,” Pirro said.

The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.