August 7, 2025 • 7 mins
Should President Trump take executive action to address crime in the city, or should he push Congress to address it through legislation, it wouldn’t be the first time this has happened even recently. It was only two years ago that Congress passed, and President Biden signed into law, a resolution overriding the D.C. City Council’s soft-on-crime “Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022”.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
You have questions, Brian has answers. It's time for today's
Q and A of today. This is the Brian Mud Show.
Today's Q and A.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Is it possible for the Trump administration to seize control
of DC? This is brought to you by I'm Listen
ashes check Mark collections. Each day I feature a listener
questions sent by one of these methods. You may email
me Brian Mud at iHeartMedia dot com, hit me up
on social At Brian Mud Radio we also use the
iHeartRadio talk back feature. We would love it. If you'd
(00:35):
love us, you go into the app, you make us
your number one preset, then the Brian Mudshow podcast number
two preset. That way, we are always there for you
for free on demand. Happy day. And while you're in there,
look for a little microphone button. See it tappen. You
may lay down a message right there, maybe for a
future Q and A. Today's notice this at Brian Mud Radio.
Is it possible for Trump to take over DC? What
(00:58):
would have to happen that?
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Look like? Okay?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
So this has been a hot topic of conversation. Note
comes following the recent beating a former DOGE member Edward Korstein.
Also known as big Balls in DC as he rushed
to to save a woman from an attempted car jacking.
President Trump posted about it untruth. He also has asked
about his comments about federalizing DC. Yesterday at the White
(01:25):
House with Tim Cook, had this to say.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
The crime is ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
I could show you a chart comparing DC to other locations,
and you're not going to want to see what it
looks like.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Now.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
We want to have a great, safe capital, and we're
going to have it. And that includes cleanliness and includes
other things.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
You might see. They don't just commit crime.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
They're not exactly the cleanest creatures, these people and the
swamp creatures that commit the crime. And so we want
to not just drain the swamp, but we also want
to clean the creatures as well as so anyway, when
Trump posted on truth and his most detailed explanation about
this situation, he said, this.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Crime in Washington, d C. Is totally out of control.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Local utes and gang members suddenly fourteen, fifteen and sixteen
years old are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent
citizens at the same time, knowing that they will almost
immediately be released. They're not afraid of law enforcement because
they know nothing ever happens to them.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
But it's going to happen now.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
The law in DC must be changed to prosecute these
miners quote unquote as adults and lock them up for
a long time, starting at age fourteen. The most recent
victim was beaten mercilessly by local thugs. Washington, d C
must be safe, clean, and beautiful for all Americans and
importantly for the world to see. If d C doesn't
(02:54):
get attack together and quickly, we will have no choice
but to take federal control of the city and run
the city how it should be run, and put criminals
un noticed. They're not going to get away with it anymore.
Perhaps it should have been done a long time ago.
Then this incredible young man and so many others would
not have had to go through the horrors of violent crime.
If this continues, I am going to exert my powers
(03:16):
and federalize this city. Make America great again. Now I'm
the wake of the attack, DC's Metropolitan Police do seem
like they're taking this one seriously. They have arrested two
fifteen year olds from Maryland for the attack, and they
said the investigation remains active. Additional suspects are being sought
now while it remains well will become of that particular case.
(03:41):
What has been clear for quite some time is that Washington,
d C. Then lacks in dealing with its extensive crime problem.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
By the numbers.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
You know, Trump was talking in the clip about Yeah,
I can show you the chart. It's really ugly. And
again these people aren't clean either, So it's I mean
when I say ugly, I'm talking about like you know,
Hillary kind of. So anyway, how much higher the crime
rate is in DC compared to the rest of the country.
And by the way, without Hillary, they are spending as
much time you would think the crime rate in DC
(04:11):
would be low. Right, Also on the Obama people fewer suicides.
So property crime and you say that, by the way,
with quotations around, Yeah, of course. Yeah, So property crime
in DC it is currently two hundred and twenty five
(04:32):
percent higher than the average other place USA. How about
violent crime, you are greater than three times is likely
to be a victim of violent crime three hundred and
eight percent higher at this point. So what's more is
that recent high profile cases they're not outliers at all.
They are absolutely part of a bigger trend. The overall
(04:53):
crime rate in Washington d C rose by twenty four
percent year every year most recently. That's a big percentage
increase for a big sitting. So in other words, all
the underlying facts support President Trump's concerns, and that takes
us to Trump's threat to end DC's autonomy.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Now here's the way this works.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
As a federal district, the federal government does ultimately retain
full authority over the district to Columbia. Unlike sovereignty granted
to states under the Tenth Amendment, DC was granted the
local authority that it currently operates under only in nineteen
seventy three with the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. Now,
(05:38):
the Acts allowed for a mayor, city council and a
local decision making under them. However, that was just a law,
and that could change at any time should Congress pass
a bill signed into law by the President to amend
or eliminate it. So a new law, however, is what
would be needed to permanently federalized so to speak, DC.
(06:01):
Once again, as for what President Trump could do unilaterally,
he could issue an emergency declaration deploy federal resources to DC,
similar to what we saw during the La Ice riots
earlier this year. The federal government also controls many of
the buildings much of the property in DC. Could allocate
(06:22):
additional resources to those buildings and land to have a
greater presence throughout the city, but he wouldn't be able
to do unilaterally.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Without an Act of Congress. Is just federalized.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
It can't just say the issue an executive order and
say this is ours now. So should President Trump take
executive action to address crime in the city or should
he push Congress to address it through legislation. It actually
would not be the first time this has happened, even recently.
It was only just over two years ago the Congress
passed and President Biden signed into law a resolution overriding
(06:57):
the DC City Council's Softime Crime Revised Criminal Code Act
of twenty twenty two. If you think back, you might
even remember this having briefly made the news. It's obvious, however,
simply overriding the city's week law enforcement initiative hasn't stopped
crime from continuing to spike in the city, making it
one of the least safe places in the country.
You have questions, Brian has answers. It's time for today's
Q and A of today. This is the Brian Mud Show.
Today's Q and A.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Is it possible for the Trump administration to seize control
of DC? This is brought to you by I'm Listen
ashes check Mark collections. Each day I feature a listener
questions sent by one of these methods. You may email
me Brian Mud at iHeartMedia dot com, hit me up
on social At Brian Mud Radio we also use the
iHeartRadio talk back feature. We would love it. If you'd
(00:35):
love us, you go into the app, you make us
your number one preset, then the Brian Mudshow podcast number
two preset. That way, we are always there for you
for free on demand. Happy day. And while you're in there,
look for a little microphone button. See it tappen. You
may lay down a message right there, maybe for a
future Q and A. Today's notice this at Brian Mud Radio.
Is it possible for Trump to take over DC? What
(00:58):
would have to happen that?
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Look like? Okay?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
So this has been a hot topic of conversation. Note
comes following the recent beating a former DOGE member Edward Korstein.
Also known as big Balls in DC as he rushed
to to save a woman from an attempted car jacking.
President Trump posted about it untruth. He also has asked
about his comments about federalizing DC. Yesterday at the White
(01:25):
House with Tim Cook, had this to say.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
The crime is ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
I could show you a chart comparing DC to other locations,
and you're not going to want to see what it
looks like.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Now.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
We want to have a great, safe capital, and we're
going to have it. And that includes cleanliness and includes
other things.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
You might see. They don't just commit crime.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
They're not exactly the cleanest creatures, these people and the
swamp creatures that commit the crime. And so we want
to not just drain the swamp, but we also want
to clean the creatures as well as so anyway, when
Trump posted on truth and his most detailed explanation about
this situation, he said, this.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Crime in Washington, d C. Is totally out of control.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Local utes and gang members suddenly fourteen, fifteen and sixteen
years old are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent
citizens at the same time, knowing that they will almost
immediately be released. They're not afraid of law enforcement because
they know nothing ever happens to them.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
But it's going to happen now.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
The law in DC must be changed to prosecute these
miners quote unquote as adults and lock them up for
a long time, starting at age fourteen. The most recent
victim was beaten mercilessly by local thugs. Washington, d C
must be safe, clean, and beautiful for all Americans and
importantly for the world to see. If d C doesn't
(02:54):
get attack together and quickly, we will have no choice
but to take federal control of the city and run
the city how it should be run, and put criminals
un noticed. They're not going to get away with it anymore.
Perhaps it should have been done a long time ago.
Then this incredible young man and so many others would
not have had to go through the horrors of violent crime.
If this continues, I am going to exert my powers
(03:16):
and federalize this city. Make America great again. Now I'm
the wake of the attack, DC's Metropolitan Police do seem
like they're taking this one seriously. They have arrested two
fifteen year olds from Maryland for the attack, and they
said the investigation remains active. Additional suspects are being sought
now while it remains well will become of that particular case.
(03:41):
What has been clear for quite some time is that Washington,
d C. Then lacks in dealing with its extensive crime problem.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
By the numbers.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
You know, Trump was talking in the clip about Yeah,
I can show you the chart. It's really ugly. And
again these people aren't clean either, So it's I mean
when I say ugly, I'm talking about like you know,
Hillary kind of. So anyway, how much higher the crime
rate is in DC compared to the rest of the country.
And by the way, without Hillary, they are spending as
much time you would think the crime rate in DC
(04:11):
would be low. Right, Also on the Obama people fewer suicides.
So property crime and you say that, by the way,
with quotations around, Yeah, of course. Yeah, So property crime
in DC it is currently two hundred and twenty five
(04:32):
percent higher than the average other place USA. How about
violent crime, you are greater than three times is likely
to be a victim of violent crime three hundred and
eight percent higher at this point. So what's more is
that recent high profile cases they're not outliers at all.
They are absolutely part of a bigger trend. The overall
(04:53):
crime rate in Washington d C rose by twenty four
percent year every year most recently. That's a big percentage
increase for a big sitting. So in other words, all
the underlying facts support President Trump's concerns, and that takes
us to Trump's threat to end DC's autonomy.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Now here's the way this works.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
As a federal district, the federal government does ultimately retain
full authority over the district to Columbia. Unlike sovereignty granted
to states under the Tenth Amendment, DC was granted the
local authority that it currently operates under only in nineteen
seventy three with the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. Now,
(05:38):
the Acts allowed for a mayor, city council and a
local decision making under them. However, that was just a law,
and that could change at any time should Congress pass
a bill signed into law by the President to amend
or eliminate it. So a new law, however, is what
would be needed to permanently federalized so to speak, DC.
(06:01):
Once again, as for what President Trump could do unilaterally,
he could issue an emergency declaration deploy federal resources to DC,
similar to what we saw during the La Ice riots
earlier this year. The federal government also controls many of
the buildings much of the property in DC. Could allocate
(06:22):
additional resources to those buildings and land to have a
greater presence throughout the city, but he wouldn't be able
to do unilaterally.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Without an Act of Congress. Is just federalized.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
It can't just say the issue an executive order and
say this is ours now. So should President Trump take
executive action to address crime in the city or should
he push Congress to address it through legislation. It actually
would not be the first time this has happened, even recently.
It was only just over two years ago the Congress
passed and President Biden signed into law a resolution overriding
(06:57):
the DC City Council's Softime Crime Revised Criminal Code Act
of twenty twenty two. If you think back, you might
even remember this having briefly made the news. It's obvious, however,
simply overriding the city's week law enforcement initiative hasn't stopped
crime from continuing to spike in the city, making it
one of the least safe places in the country.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!