(Washington) The city of Washington signed an agreement on Friday with the Trump administration on everyone’s responsibilities to lead the police from the American capital, a few hours after having filed a complaint for what they called “hostile control” by the Republican President.
The agreement allows the current police chief, Pamela Smith, to maintain her role at the head of the city’s police. He was concluded in a federal court a few hours after the filing of this complaint by the city’s prosecutor against the federal state.
Photo Julia Demoree Nikhinson, Associated Press Archives
The Washington police chief Pamela Smith
Earlier in the week, Donald Trump announced to place order of order in the capital under the control of his administration and deploy soldiers of the National Guard.
The municipality, with a single status, is not attached to any American state, and has limited autonomy since the congress has jurisdiction over its cases.
Donald Trump said it had to take such exceptional measures because he wishes to “clean up” the city which, according to him, “invaded by violent gangs”.
Official statistics, however, show a drop in violent crime in the capital. According to the Democrat mayor of Washington, Muriel Bowser, she has been “at her lowest level for 30 years”.
Photo Jose Luis Gonzalez, Reuters
American soldiers walk near the Washington Monument on August 14, 2025.
The general prosecutor for Justice Pam Bondi then announced on Thursday a new “emergency manager” of the police, Terry Cole, head of the drug fighting agency (DEA).
The federal law governing the capital “does not allow this usurpation of the authority of the city on its own government”, could be read in the complaint filed by the Washington prosecutor, Brian Schwalb.
“Public order”
During a hearing on Friday, judge Ana Reyes urged the two parties to find a solution together. Each finally accepted that Terry Cole, rather than taking direct control of the city police, would give directives through the services of Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Brian Schwalb said he was satisfied with this agreement at a press conference after the hearing, and that he was clearly clear that police control had to be under the supervision of the police chosen by the mayor.
“We do not need a hostile takeover on the part of the federal state to do what we do daily,” he said.
In addition to federal DEA or FBI agents deployed, Donald Trump also mobilized 800 national guards in the streets of the capital.
These reserve soldiers “will remain on the spot until public order is restored in the city, as decided by the president” Donald Trump, said the Pentagon on Thursday.
Seeing the national guards, Christian Calhoun, 26, said he was “furious”.
“They are only waiting for standing for hours,” castigates the one who was born in the American capital and for whom the strong criticism of Donald Trump on security in Washington are not justified.
The Republican had already mobilized in June the National Guard in California, against the opinion of the Democratic Governor, saying that he wanted to restore order in Los Angeles after demonstrations against his migration policy.
Since his return to the White House, the American president has repeatedly threatened to replace Washington under the control of the federal authorities, emphasizing the importance of the appearance of the American capital where regular foreign dignitaries come.
Donald Trump also summoned the homeless to leave “far” from Washington, saying that he wanted to “get rid of the slums”.
