The US president said that people without shelter would be housed “far from the capital”
US President Donald Trump has urged homeless people in Washington, DC, to leave the city immediately, promising to make the capital safer and cleaner. His comments come amid concerns over crime, with federal interventions ramping up.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said that he would hold a press conference to address the situation in the US capital. He warned that the crackdown on crime would happen “very fast.”
“The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote, adding that the government would provide housing, “but FAR from the Capital.” The post was accompanied by images depicting an encampment along a highway on-ramp and people sleeping on the street.
The issue is significant in Washington, DC; about 5,138 homeless people reside in the US capital, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Throughout the 2010s, the city reportedly had more than 6,000 unhoused residents.
Last week, Trump criticized the city’s crime situation, calling the crime rate “totally out of control.” He accused local youths and gang members of attacking residents with impunity, warning that if conditions do not improve, he would consider federalizing the city in order to restore order.
“The Criminals, you don’t have to move out,” Trump continued. “We’re going to put you in jail where you belong. It’s all going to happen very fast, just like the Border,” referring to his crackdown on illegal migrants. “Be prepared! There will be no ‘MR. NICE GUY.’ We want our Capital BACK,” he said.
In order to address crime, Trump has ordered a surge of federal officers, citing the assault of a government worker as evidence that the local police had failed.
On Friday, over 120 officers from federal agencies, including the Secret Service, the FBI, and the US Marshals, were deployed. Reuters reported plans to send in hundreds of National Guard troops.
Washington, D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser argued that the city is not experiencing a crime spike. “We have spent over the last two years driving down violent crime in this city, driving it down to a 30-year low,” she told MSNBC on Sunday.
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