WASHINGTON — On Sunday, August 10, 2025, President Donald Trump ordered homeless people in Washington DC to “move out immediately” or face eviction, posting the directive on Truth Social while traveling from the White House to his Virginia golf course.
Trump said federal officers would be deployed to remove encampments and arrest “criminals,” despite official data showing violent crime in the capital is at its lowest in more than 30 years. His post included photos of tents near a highway ramp, a person sleeping on Constitution Avenue, and littered streets, along with the pledge to provide shelter “far from the Capital” to improve safety and cleanliness. He will address the plan at a Monday morning news conference.
DC’s Metropolitan Police report violent crime fell 35% in 2024 and is down another 26% in 2025. Mayor Muriel Bowser dismissed Trump’s claims of a crime wave, saying the city has been reducing violent crime for two years. Congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton called Trump’s remarks “misguided and offensive,” insisting DC residents can govern themselves.
The Free DC movement plans to protest during Trump’s announcement. Legal experts note the president’s authority largely extends only to federal property in the city, as most governance falls under the Home Rule Act of 1973.
