FBI director Kash Patel, says Trump Plan to federalize DC police

FBI director Kash Patel approved President Donald Trump’s plans to take over the Metropolitan Police Department to combat crime at Washington DC, in the midst of strong criticisms from Democrats and local officials who say that this decision is part of a power.

Patel was seen on Monday afternoon in a command post for the first night of temporary takeover in a demonstration of support for the police.

“Proud to stay in the shoulder with the men and women who ensure the security of the capital of our country,” said Patel in an exclusive declaration at Fox News Digital. “When you let the right cops be cops, give them the tools they need and you support them at each stage, they deliver – each time.”

In the photos exclusively provided to Fox News Digital, a patel can be seen talking on Monday at the FBI and the staff of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bearing protective vests in a command center of a police station in the American park.

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FBI director Kash Patel, with FBI agents in Washington, DC on August 11 outside the Park Police Station, the Trump Administration’s new repression center against crime in the national capital. (With kind permission: FBI, exclusively provided to Fox News Digital)

Trump said on Monday that he would federalize the police service and place him under the authority of the American prosecutor Pam Bondi in order to fight crime. He also said that he activated around 800 soldiers from the National Guard to “restore law, order and public security” in the capital.

Washington DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser described the move as “disturbing and unprecedented”.

“Although this action today is disturbing and unprecedented, I cannot say that, given part of the rhetoric of the past, we are totally surprised,” said Bowser at a press conference. “I can tell DC residents that we will continue to exploit our government in a way that makes you proud.”

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The District of Columbia Home Rule Act allows Trump to place the city’s police service under federal control up to 30 days. Bowser noted that the granting of DC Statehood, a problem, local officials have argued several times, could have prevented the takeover.

“If people are concerned about the fact that the president can move the National Guard to our city, time to do it would have been when the Congress had a bill that he could have given control of the DC National Guard to DC,” she said. “So there are things which, when a city is not a state, and not entirely autonomous, and has no senators, that the federal government can do.”

FBI director Kash Patel, with FBI agents in Washington, DC, while the Trump administration is preparing to take over the DC police. (With kind permission: FBI, exclusively provided to Fox News Digital)

Other Democrats have strongly criticized the Trump administration for this decision.

“If President Trump wants to help make Chicago safer, he can start by publishing funds for anti-violence programs that have been essential to our work to reduce crime and violence,” said Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson. “The sending of the National Guard would only be used to destabilize our city and undermine our public security efforts.”

The Washington Municipal Council, DC, described the temporary takeover of “intrusion made on local authorities”.

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President Donald Trump is expressed with journalists from the James Brady Press newsletter at the White House, on Monday, August 11, 2025, in Washington from the left, interior secretary Doug Burgum, defense secretary Pete Hegseth, Pam Bondi Prosecutor General and Director of FBI Kash Patel. (AP photo / Alex Brandon)

“Violent crimes in the district are at the lowest rates that we have seen in 30 years. The federalization of the metropolitan police service is unjustified because there is no federal emergency,” the council said in a joint statement. “In addition, the National Guard has no training or knowledge of the public security of local laws. The role of the goalkeeper does not include investigating or resolving crimes in the district. Calling the National Guard is a useless deployment without real mission.”

The delegation of the national capital region, an organization made up of several Democratic legislators in the Chamber, accused Trump of having personally prompted crime in the capital, referring to the riot of January 6, 2021 in the American Capitol.

FBI director Kash Patel spoke with FBI agents while the Trump administration federalizes the metropolitan police service. (With kind permission: FBI, exclusively provided to Fox News Digital)

“Trump’s” temporary “takeover of the Metropolitan Police Service is not intended to prevent crime, it is a gentle launch of authoritarianism,” the group said in a statement. “Trump has a long -standing scheme for searching for light demonstrations. As he has shown several times, Trump works to use and does not care to keep the safety of American families in the cities and cities of our country. “

“The President’s announcement this morning is a non-co-acceptable advertising,” they added. “If he wants to reduce crime in the Columbia district, he should focus on obtaining his republican allies in the congress to restore funding that they have arbitrarily withdrawn from the city’s budget, which risks reducing the police and other public security measures.”

FBI director Kash Patel, with FBI agents in Washington, DC on August 11 outside the Park Police Station, the Trump Administration’s new repression center against crime in the national capital. (With kind permission: FBI, exclusively provided to Fox News Digital)

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Randi Weingarten, president of the Syndicate of the American teachers’ federation, described Trump’s announcement “gross overtaking, disconnected from real conditions on the ground”.

“So we have to ask ourselves: will the president’s show of the president make the average resident of DC more secure? Will this create jobs for workers and bring customers to downtown businesses?” She said. “Will this offer young people a path to jobs, skills or other activities that prevent them from the street?”

FBI director Kash Patel met agents before DC police take control. (With kind permission: FBI, exclusively provided to Fox News Digital)

“The answer to these questions is” no, “she added.” This is why this decision is another rude show of a president who cares more about targeting, intimidating and playing King than the security of DC and its residents. “”

Trump opponents cited crime statistics showing that Washington crime is down. The crime in Washington is down 26% this year compared to the same period in 2024, according to the MPD. Attacks with a dangerous weapon is down 20% and homicides fell 12%, according to police data. In January, the Ministry of Justice said violent crime In 2024, in the district, fell 35% compared to 2023, the lowest he has been for over 30 years.

However, Trump does not agree.

Data from the Metropolitan Police Department show that while the homicide rate has dropped, the last five years have seen the greatest number of murders since 2008.

“The murder rate in Washington today is higher than that of Bogota, Colombia, Mexico, some of the places you hear about as the worst places on the earth, much higher,” Trump said on Monday. “It’s much higher. The number of car flights has doubled in the past five years, and the number of carjacking has more than tripled. The murders in 2023 have reached the highest rate, probably never. They say 25 years old, but they don’t know what it means because it goes back to 25 years cannot be worse.”

Andrew Mark Miller from Fox News Digital contributed to this report.