Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Aug 15: Washington DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration, accusing it of an unlawful “hostile takeover” of the city’s police force. The legal challenge comes after Trump placed the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal control and deployed 800 National Guard troops to the capital’s streets earlier this week.

The move also saw Attorney General Pam Bondi appoint Drug Enforcement Administration chief Terry Cole as an “emergency” police commissioner. In his court filing, Schwalb argued that federal law does not permit such a takeover, claiming Trump’s team had “unlawfully seized operational control” by installing federal officials in the MPD chain of command and issuing policy orders.

Schwalb has sought a temporary restraining order to block Bondi’s appointment and asked the court to declare Trump’s executive order an overreach of his authority under the District’s Home Rule Act. “By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority… and putting the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk,” Schwalb posted on social media.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser also criticised the move, saying no law permits a federal official to control the city’s personnel. Washington DC, which is not a state, operates under a unique arrangement where Congress has broad powers over local matters, including final approval of the city’s budget.

While Republican critics have long accused the Democratic-led city of mismanagement, police data shows violent crime dropped sharply between 2023 and 2024, reaching its lowest point in three decades. Trump, however, has defended his actions, describing the capital as “under siege from thugs and killers” and vowing to clear homeless encampments from its streets.