US Government’s Alleged Illegal Seizure of Police

The city attorney, Brian Schaub, wrote on Platform ‘X’ yesterday, Friday, that the U.S. government has declared an ‘illegal seizure’ of the Metropolitan Police Department and ‘misused its temporary and limited authority under the law.’ The lawsuit demands the invalidation of Bondi’s order and prevents Cole from ‘assuming any leadership position’ in the local police. Bondi had issued an order granting Cole ‘all the powers and responsibilities’ of Police Chief Pamela Smith, who now has to obtain his approval before issuing any new directives. However, the city mayor, Muriel Bowser, and the city attorney rejected the order, considering it ‘illegal,’ while Smith warned that its implementation ‘would destabilize the leadership structure and threaten public safety.’ Last Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention, based on a 1970s law known as the Home Rule Act, which allows him to use the Metropolitan Police ‘for federal purposes he deems necessary and appropriate.’ This is the first time a U.S. President has imposed federal control over the Metropolitan Police, although the government previously intervened in security matters there, such as deploying the National Guard in 1989 to combat the cocaine crisis, after the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, and during the 2020 protests following George Floyd’s death. Despite Trump’s statements that crime in Washington has worsened, Metropolitan Police data shows that violent crime rates dropped in 2024 to their lowest level in 30 years and continued to decline in 2025, with a 26% decrease in violent crimes and a 28% drop in thefts compared to the previous year.