1989 Barry: ‘Support Not Intervention’ vs. 2025 Bowser: ‘Unsettling and Unprecedented’

August 12, 2025

President Donald Trump has deployed 800 National Guard troops to Washington D.C. and taken control of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under Section 740, which allows federal command during "emergency conditions" for 30 days. This action removes operational control from Mayor Muriel Bowser and places the MPD under federal command, with Terry Cole named as interim federal administrator. The approach contrasts sharply with the 1989 National Guard deployment under President George H.W. Bush, when then-Mayor Marion Barry maintained city control with Guard members serving only in support roles.

Who is affected

Washington D.C. residents, particularly the African American population (nearly half the city's population)
Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. city government officials who lost operational control of their police department
The Metropolitan Police Department now under federal command
Homeless residents who may be targeted by Trump's promise to "clean up" the District
Residents in "vulnerable, aggressively and disparately policed neighborhoods"

What action is being taken

President Trump is deploying 800 National Guard troops with powers to perform law enforcement duties, including arrests
The Department of Justice is assuming operational control of the Metropolitan Police Department
Terry Cole is serving as interim federal administrator for MPD
Federal authorities are redirecting D.C. police resources from neighborhood patrols to guard federal buildings, secure monuments, and police protests
Mayor Bowser is continuing to operate other city government functions despite the federal takeover of policing

Why it matters

This federal takeover removes local democratic control of policing in Washington D.C.
The action is only possible because D.C. lacks statehood protections, highlighting the District's limited autonomy
It represents a significant departure from the 1989 Guard deployment when the city maintained operational control
Civil rights organizations like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund warn this could lead to "unchecked violence" in law enforcement
The move disproportionately impacts Black residents and could lead to racial profiling given Trump's stated positions

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer