STATEMENT FROM CAPITAL STONEWALL DEMOCRATS & NATIONAL FEDERATION OF STONEWALL DEMOCRATS

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Donald Trump announced plans to send hundreds of federal agents and up to 1,000 National Guard troops into Washington, D.C., describing our city as needing “liberation” from “crime, savagery, filth, and scum.” In a deeply alarming escalation, the President has also moved to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department, placing it under his direct control for up to 30 days. This unprecedented action strikes at the heart of D.C.’s right to self-govern and undermines the trust between our communities and those sworn to protect them.

This is not about safety — it’s about control. The facts are clear: violent crime in D.C. is down 26% from last year, robberies are down 22%, and homicides have fallen 18%. These numbers tell the truth — not the fear-driven narrative being pushed from the White House to justify militarizing our streets and commandeering our local police force. 

“This is nothing more than a political stunt designed to distract and divide,” said Howard Garrett, President of Capital Stonewall Democrats. “Flooding our neighborhoods with federal forces and seizing control of our police department will not make us safer — it will undermine trust, escalate tensions, and strip away D.C.’s right to govern itself.” 

Jeremy Comeau, President of the National Stonewall Democrats, added, “We stand firmly with the Capital Stonewall Democrats and every LGBTQ+ person now in the crosshairs of this authoritarian power grab. Turning our nation’s capital into an occupied zone will not make us safer — it will put our communities at greater risk. We will resist, we will organize, and we will not let fear or federal force strip away our rights, our safety, or our voice.” 

The federalization of MPD is an extreme measure rarely used in American history, and its use here is based on rhetoric, not reality. Washington, D.C., is not in the throes of a crime wave — it is experiencing measurable and significant decreases in major crimes. To ignore this reality is to engage in deliberate misinformation that endangers public confidence and distorts the truth. 

The people of Washington, D.C., are not props in a political performance. We are a community with dignity, resilience, and the constitutional right to determine our own future without federal overreach or manufactured crises. Using fear as a weapon to seize control of our city is not leadership — it is an abuse of power, and it will not define who we are. 

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