White House signals increase in federal law enforcement in D.C.

The Trump administration plans to increase federal law enforcement in Washington, D.C., as early as Friday morning following the alleged assault of former Department of Government Efficiency staffer Edward Coristine over the weekend; the incident prompted outrage from the president himself.

After the alleged attack on the ex-DOGE staffer, President Trump on Wednesday said in a Truth Social post that he might put the District of Columbia under federal control if the city doesn't "get its act together, and quickly."

"If this continues, I am going to exert my powers, and FEDERALIZE this City," he wrote.

Three sources briefed on the D.C. deployment said the additional officers will come from the D.C. National Guard, FBI, U.S. Marshals, ICE, U.S. Secret Service and additional components of the Department of Homeland Security. One source added that officials from the relevant law enforcement agencies met Thursday to review plans for deployment.

A White House official later confirmed to CBS News that the increased federal law enforcement presence on D.C. streets would begin at midnight Thursday and would focus on tourist areas and other known hotspots. Along with the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service, the official said the operation would involve multiple federal agencies — including U.S. Capitol Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, among others.

The official disclosed the increased police presence would be part of a seven-day operation that could be extended as needed. The federal officers on patrol would be highly visible in marked units, the official said.

"Washington, DC is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Thursday night. "President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens. Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C. President Trump is committed to making our Nation's capital safer for its residents, lawmakers, and visitors from all around the world."

Overnight Wednesday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was notified of an increased federal law enforcement presence in the nation's capital, and she approved the request by the White House to put additional officers on the streets, according to an official in the mayor's office.

But otherwise, there's been little to no coordination between the Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement, a D.C. police source said. The agency has not been notified about what the increase in law enforcement might look like across the nation's capital, according to the source. The department has been hamstrung by Congress since House Republicans refused in June to consider a measure to restore hundreds of millions of dollars of its funding. There's currently a hiring freeze for D.C. Police professional staff and restrictions on overtime for officers.

Asked by CBS News about the plans to increase federal law enforcement D.C., the District's U.S. Attorney, Jeanine Pirro, expressed uncertainty about any impending changes but said, "My understanding is that both the Trump administration and the Metropolitan Police Department are looking to increase law enforcement efforts because of the violence we're seeing across this … city."

Pressed further by a reporter, she added that it was "a decision for the president."

"Young people are being coddled," Pirro said. "They need to be held accountable. They shouldn't be going to arts and crafts in D.C. family court." Pirro also made reference to a 19-year-old who had used an illegal gun to fire shots on a Metrobus and was subsequently charged and sentenced to parole.

"All I want to do is clean up D.C. That's why the president put me here," Pirro said. "And youth crime is on the rise."

Pirro also mentioned that four years ago, her office had handled 150,000 cases of youth violence. "We now have nearly half a million," she said.

A White House official told CBS News that the increase in federal law enforcement in D.C. is in compliance with President Trump's "Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful" executive order signed on March 28, and is part of fulfilling his campaign promise to make America safe again.

That executive order said federal law enforcement officers could be deployed in D.C., in areas around the National Mall and Memorial Parks, museums, monuments, Lafayette Park, Union Station, Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the Suitland Parkway, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

Federal law enforcement and National Park Services have, according to the order, already been used to arrest undocumented immigrants, and remove homelessness encampments in the District.

In 2023, there was a sharp increase in crime in the nation's capital, making D.C. one of America's deadliest cities. In response, Congress even blocked revisions to Washington, D.C.'s criminal code for the first time in 31 years, in March 2023.

But violent crime in D.C. has tapered off, decreasing since the start of 2024; it's part of a larger nationwide drop in murder rates that has hit its lowest level in decades. D.C Police data show assaults with a dangerous weapon are down 19% year-to-date compared with 2024, while robberies have fallen by 39 percent, compared to last year. In 2025, there have also been 14 fewer homicides to date – a drop of 12%, compared to the same period last year.

Still, 98 people have been killed citywide so far this year — including a congressional intern, killed by a stray bullet on a downtown street, and two Israeli embassy staffers gunned down in May. The alleged assault on Coristine was just last week.

CBS News has reached out to the U.S. Park Police, U.S. Secret Service, ICE, CBP, FBI Washington Field Office, Federal Protective Services and DC National Guard for comment.

D.C. Police said in a statement that "MPD collaborates with federal law enforcement every single day. There are numerous federal agencies with law enforcement authority in the District of Columbia and seamlessly work together day to day and have for years."

Weijia Jiang and Jacob Rosen contributed to this report.