What he called them · Second term · № 139
Seized D.C. police and sent the Guard, saying 'roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs' had overtaken the capital
“Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people, and we're not going to let it happen anymore.”
- Said
- , White House press conference
- Subject
- Washington, D.C.
- Target
- American cities
- Place
- Washington, D.C.
- Topic
- Justice & the courts
- Era
- Second term
What happened
The day before, he posted 'The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY... FAR from the Capital.' At the press conference he invoked the Home Rule Act to take control of the Metropolitan Police Department, the first president to use that provision, and ordered about 800 National Guard troops to the city. Bloomberg noted the Justice Department had announced weeks before he took office that violent crime in D.C. hit a 30-year low in 2024, and AP reported city officials stressed crime was already falling. In the same remarks he said Baltimore and Oakland were 'so far gone.'