On Sunday, August 10, 2025, President Donald Trump told homeless people in Washington DC to “move out immediately” or face eviction. He made this post on his Truth Social account while traveling from the White House to his golf course in Virginia. He saw people lying homeless and immediately passed the order. Trump also promised to send federal officers to arrest criminals in the capital, even though official police numbers show violent crime is at its lowest in more than 30 years.
President Donald Trump orders homeless to leave Washington DC immediately
Donald Trump’s post on Truth Social included four photos taken from his motorcade. Two pictures showed about 10 tents on the grass near a highway ramp a little over a mile from the White House. Another showed a person sleeping on the steps of a building on Constitution Avenue. One more photo showed a road with some litter near the Kennedy Center.In his post, Donald Trump wrote, “We will give you places to stay, but far from the Capital.” He said the target was to improve the safety and cleanliness of Washington DC. Moreover, he revealed that he would address crime prevention and city cleanup at a news conference on Monday at 10 a.Donald Trump has already sent hundreds of federal agents to patrol Washington DC. But the Metropolitan Police Department says violent crime in 2024 dropped 35% compared to 2023, and is down another 26% in 2025 so far.Also Read: “More Than Any American Culture”: Martina Navratilova Once Shared How Chris Evert’s Catholic Upbringing Shaped Her Tennis Image
Mayor Muriel Bowser and Eleanor Holmes Norton challenge Donald Trump’s eviction plan
Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser told MSNBC that there is no crime wave in the city. “We have been driving down violent crime for two years,” she said, adding that the current numbers are the lowest in decades.Eleanor Holmes Norton, the city’s nonvoting delegate in Congress, called Trump’s words “misguided and offensive” to the more than 700,000 residents of Washington DC. She said locals are “worthy and capable” of running their own city without interference from federal officials.The Free DC movement has planned a protest to happen at the same time as Trump’s Monday news conference.Legal experts say Trump may only control federal land and buildings in Washington DC. Most city decisions are handled by local leaders under the Home Rule Act of 1973, which was signed by President Richard Nixon.
