A few clouds. Areas of smoke and haze are possible, reducing visibility at times. Low 52F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph..

A few clouds. Areas of smoke and haze are possible, reducing visibility at times. Low 52F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.

(The Center Square) – Tuesday marks one year since President Donald Trump declared “Liberation Day” in Washington, D.C., leading to the deployment of the National Guard and the beautification of the nation’s capital.

On a typical, hot and humid Washington morning in August 2025, The Center Square was present in the White House briefing room that day, noting it was jammed packed with journalists stacked on top of each other awaiting the president’s briefing, as murmurs from some journalists in the room recounted personal and secondhand encounters with crime in the district, including muggings and property theft.

Trump entered the room, flanked by some of his top cabinet secretaries and administrators, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of the Interior Doug Bergum, and FBI Director Kash Patel, declaring a crime emergency in the district, announcing the deployment of the National Guard to curb crime.

The president claimed the city had been plagued with “crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor, and worse.” The president appeared to have had enough, expressing embarrassment as world leaders visited the district, with eyes fixed on homeless encampments, deteriorating infrastructure, and graffiti.

The president held up charts comparing the district’s homicide rate to other cities around the world, noting it was higher than that of other capital cities. The White House released a fact sheet showing the district’s 2024 murder rate per 100,000 in comparison to other nations’ capitals. America led the pack, nearly double second-place Bogota, Colombia, followed by Mexico City, Mexico, and Islamabad, Pakistan.

“This is Liberation Day in D.C., and we’re going to take our capital back,” said the president. "We’re taking it back under the authorities vested in me as the President of the United States. I’m officially invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia Rule Act."

The president pointed to several examples of violence, including former Trump administration official Mike Gill, who was shot and killed in D.C. as part of a carjacking spree in 2024.

Since the Aug. 11, 2025, “Liberation Day” announcement, streets across the district continue to be patrolled by the National Guard, with the president saying he would like them to remain through his term, with the Department of War estimating it could cost $1.4 billion to extend the deployment through January 2029.