As National Guard troops arrived in Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser pledged close cooperation with federal officials. She stressed teamwork, even though some Democratic leaders called the move a dangerous overreach of power.

This security increase followed President Donald Trump’s order to send federal forces and control local police. However, D.C. currently has its lowest violent crime rate in 30 years.

After meeting with Attorney General Pam Bondi, Bowser told reporters, “I won’t go into the details of our operational plan at this point but you will see the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) working side by side with our federal partners in order to enforce the effort that we need around the city,” according to The Guardian.

Since Trump returned to office in January, Bowser has avoided direct conflict with his administration. Instead, she said on Tuesday that she would focus on using the extra officers well to reduce crime.

“What I’m focused on is the federal surge and how to make the most of the additional officer support that we have,” she said.

Furthermore, “We have the best in the business at MPD and Chief Pamela Smith to lead that effort. We will make sure federal law enforcement officers and National Guard troops are used well. The goal is to reduce crime.

“So, however we got here or whatever we think about the situation, we have more police now and we want to use them,” she added.

Democratic Mayors Criticize Federal Intervention

Meanwhile, several Democratic mayors took a stronger stance. They warned Trump not to seize control of their cities using law enforcement powers.

On Monday, Trump escalated his criticism of cities led by Democrats. He said, “We have other cities also that are bad,” naming Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Baltimore, and Oakland.

Moreover, he added, “You don’t even mention them any more, they’re so far gone.”

The next day, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller tweeted — without evidence — that crime numbers in large Democratic cities are “fake.” He claimed the real levels of “crime, chaos & dysfunction” are much worse.

“Democrats are trying to unravel civilization,” Miller wrote. “Pres Trump will save it.”

Mayors Push Back Strongly

All five cities Trump named are led by Black mayors. Most strongly opposed the president’s comments and actions.

For example, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said, “Sending in the National Guard would only destabilize our city and hurt our public safety efforts.”

Similarly, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said, “When it comes to public safety in Baltimore, he should turn off the rightwing propaganda and look at the facts. Baltimore is the safest it’s been in over 50 years.”

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee wrote on X, “President Trump’s characterization of Oakland is wrong and based in fear-mongering to score cheap political points.”

Lastly, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, where troops were sent earlier this month to control protests, said, “Another experiment by the Administration, another power grab from local government. This is performative. This is a stunt. It always has been and always will be.”