Trump announces measures to strengthen security in Washington D.C. Yonhap News Agency

U.S. President Donald Trump on the 13th (local time) emphasized the justification for his order to "control Washington D.C. police operations federally and deploy the National Guard," claiming that the actual crime rate in Washington D.C. is very high.

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Washington has one of the highest crime rates in the world, higher than many Third World countries that are very violent."

He added, "The murder rate is higher than in Mexico City, Bogota, Islamabad, and Addis Ababa, which are infamous for violence, and nearly 10 times higher than in Fallujah, Iraq. If Washington were a state, it would have the highest murder rate in the United States."

Trump further asserted, "Violent crime has worsened, and the murder rate has nearly doubled in 10 years. This is just the 'official' statistics released by corrupt city officials. The actual numbers are several times worse. The published statistics reflect only a tiny fraction of the actual violence because the Democratic administration in Washington has largely ceased investigating, arresting, and prosecuting most crimes."

He stressed, "Citizens are afraid to speak out or report to the police for fear of being targeted. The actual crime rate will be 5 to 10 times higher than what is reported."

On the 11th, Trump announced at a White House press conference that the federal government would directly control Washington police and deploy the National Guard. However, major U.S. media outlets have since reported that the trend of violent crime in Washington has been decreasing recently.

Trump's post on this day is seen as an attempt to refute these reports and emphasize the correctness of his decision.

Trump stated, "D.C. has been under attack by thugs and murderers, but now it is under federal control. The White House is in charge. The military and our great police will liberate this city, remove the dirt, and make it a safe, clean, livable, and beautiful place once again."

Yonhap News Agency