American Greatness announced that President Trump's recent invocation of Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act to take control of Washington, D.C.'s police force and mobilize the National Guard is a vital step toward curbing crime and restoring public safety.
According to American Greatness, Washington, D.C. recorded 187 homicides in 2024, translating to a rate of 27 murders per 100,000 residents. This rate exceeded that of Bogotá, Colombia (15 per 100,000) and Mexico City (11 per 100,000), cities often associated with higher levels of violence. The article emphasized that in addition to homicides, D.C. also recorded 2,113 robberies and 5,139 auto thefts in 2024, creating what it described as an "international embarrassment" for the nation’s capital.
American Greatness reported that Washington, D.C. was once known as the "murder capital of the U.S." during the 1990s when crime peaked at unprecedented levels. The outlet noted that reforms in the late 1990s and early 2000s contributed to a drop in crime, culminating in fewer than 100 homicides in 2012. The publication argued that today’s rising violence signals a reversal of these gains, requiring federal intervention to restore progress.
Critics of the federal takeover—including D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb—called the action "unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful," according to American Greatness. The outlet pointed out that national Democrats and left-leaning media outlets highlighted recent modest declines in crime to downplay Trump’s rationale but failed to acknowledge that in 2023, D.C.’s homicide rate was more than 40 per 100,000. The article said that street-level resistance to the move was minimal compared with large-scale protests during Trump’s first term.
The publication reported that the D.C. Police Union supported Trump’s intervention. Chairman Greggory Pemberton cited an officer shortage of 800 personnel as a key obstacle to controlling crime. The union also criticized the D.C. Council for enacting policies it said tied law enforcement's hands. Within 24 hours of Trump’s announcement, American Greatness noted that a newly mobilized task force had already made 43 arrests and introduced curfews in neighborhoods like Navy Yard.
According to its official website, American Greatness was founded in 2016 as a conservative media platform providing political commentary and investigative journalism. It emphasizes themes of American exceptionalism and constitutional governance while aiming to challenge mainstream media narratives through a right-of-center perspective.
