US president Donald Trump on Friday said he would have homeless people removed from outside the White House “immediately”. When a reporter told him, “I saw homeless people sleeping right outside the gates of the White House,” Trump replied, “I think it’s terrible, and we’ll have them removed immediately. We do remove it.” Trump went on to attack Washington’s mayor saying, “We’ve got to get the mayor to run this city properly. This city has to be run. You know, I have the right to take it over.” Trump then asked the reporter, “Where are they? Where did you see them?” The reporter answered, “Right outside on Pennsylvania Avenue, right across the street from our apartment.”Trump on Thursday signed an executive order titled “Ending crime and disorder on America’s streets”, aimed at giving cities and states more power to clear homeless encampments and send people to treatment or rehabilitation centres. The order directs attorney general Pam Bondi to push back against court rulings that limit forced removals and to work with federal departments to prioritise grants for local governments that enforce bans on urban camping, squatting, loitering, and public drug use. The White House said the move would also help redirect federal resources toward addiction recovery and mental health support.In a statement, the national homelessness law center slammed Trump’s order, calling it “misguided at best, and dangerous at worst.” The executive action comes just weeks after the US supreme court ruled that cities can penalise homeless people for sleeping in public spaces, even if no shelter beds were available. That ruling overturned a previous ban on such enforcement and is already reshaping how homelessness is being handled across the country. According to federal data, over 771,800 people were unhoused in the US in 2024, the highest number ever recorded. Many cities, including Washington DC, have struggled to expand affordable housing while also facing growing pressure to clear visible encampments. Trump, both in office and during his campaign, has repeatedly said removing homeless people from streets and parks is a priority.
