President Donald Trump speaks with members of law enforcement and National Guard soldiers, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)
Meanwhile, House GOP Trump allies have been working on various measures to extend the president’s grip on D.C.’s police, which another source told Fox News Digital the White House was keeping track of.
Under The District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973, which, among other measures, established a local government for the nation’s capital, the president is allowed to federalize D.C.’s police force for a period of 48 hours, though it can extend to 30 days with notification to the relevant congressional committees.
Any longer period must be authorized via a resolution passed in the House and Senate – several of which have already been offered while lawmakers are back on their home turfs for the annual August recess.
The act does not limit how long Trump can deploy federal forces into the capital for, however – which he has also done.
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., was first to announce he was working on a bill "to amend the D.C. Home Rule Act, so the president can extend this emergency as long as it takes, until our Capitol is taken back, and its streets are safe" on Aug. 13.
He told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that House GOP leadership seemed positive about his bill.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., looks on during a House Oversight Subcommittee hearing at the U.S. Capitol on April 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Biggs’ bill would extend Trump’s hold on D.C. police for a period of six months.
Because D.C. is a federal district, and not a state, Congress and the federal government are able to exercise significant amounts of control over various aspects of how it’s run.
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The White House and Trump allies have touted a significant decrease in homicides in D.C. since Trump took over policing in the city, while signaling that other U.S. cities could soon see federal government intervention to deal with crime as well.
Opponents of the move, largely Democrats, have accused the Trump administration of ripping autonomy away from those who live in the nation’s capital.
A White House official told Fox News Digital when asked for more information, "Efforts to address some of the underlying causes of the DC crime problem will be a topic of sustained focus for the administration, as well as other issues, such as maintenance, transportation and beautification."
"That includes working with all levels of government, executive branch, legislative branch, and Washington, DC, to ensure that the capital city of the greatest nation on earth is the envy of the world," the official said.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-house-gop-allies-eye-pathways-extend-white-house-crime-crackdown-dc