US President Donald Trump vowed on Monday to kick homeless people out of the nation's capital and put criminals in jail, despite Washington's mayor saying there is currently no spike in crime in the federal capital, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
“Homeless people need to move out, NOW. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the capital. Criminals, you don't need to move out. We will put you in jail where you belong“, Trump wrote on the “Truth Social“ platform.
The White House declined to explain what authority Trump would use to kick homeless people out of Washington, Reuters noted. The Republican president has the authority to control only the land and buildings in the city that are federally owned. property.
Trump plans to hold a press conference later today on how to "stop the violence in Washington." It is unclear whether he will announce more details about his plan at the conference.
The US president's post on Truth Social featured photos of tents and streets littered with trash in Washington. "I will make our capital safer and more beautiful than ever," he said.
According to the organization "Community Partnership," which works to reduce homelessness in Washington, there are 3,782 homeless people every night in the city of about 700,000 people.
Most of the homeless live in shelters or temporary housing. It is estimated that about 800 are without any shelters and living “on the streets”, the organization said.
A White House official said Friday that more federal law enforcement officers were deployed to the city after an assault on a young Trump administration employee angered the president.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, said today that the capital “is not suffering from a spike in crime”.
“It is true that in 2023 we had a terrible spike in crime, but this is not 2023,” Bowser told MSNBC. “Over the past two years, we have fought to reduce violence in the city, bringing it down to the lowest level in 30 years,” she added.
According to city police, violent crimes in the first seven months of 2025 are down 26% in the District of Columbia compared to last year, while overall crime is down about 7%.