As Carjackings Plummet in D.C., Dems Acknowledge Their Streets Are Safer After Trump’s First Year

Washington, D.C.’s Democrat Mayor, Muriel Bowser initially took heat from her colleagues on the Council after she expressed “great appreciation” to Trump, whose decision to deploy federal law enforcement late last year resulted in immediate crime reductions.

In 2023, Washington, D.C.’s Democrat Mayor, Muriel Bowser, described carjackings as the “most troubling” crime plaguing the nation’s capital. And for good reason—the city experienced 863 incidents within just the first nine months of that year. Several hundred of these were committed by minors.

Reportedly, this reality compelled the D.C. Council to attempt “[turning] away from progressive strategies meant to ease the footprint of law enforcement in the community and [embracing] measures that promoted more aggressive policing, prosecutions and detentions” in 2024. But that effort could only go so far working against the tide of then-President Joe Biden, whose soft-on-crime policies led to a surge in violent crime across the nation—despite earlier reports to the contrary. 

In a recent report by the Heritage Foundation, Acting Director of the Institute for Constitutional Government Charles Stimson explored just how bad carjackings in particular had gotten in D.C. under the Biden administration.

Across the four years Biden held office, carjackings in the nation’s capital averaged roughly 586 per year, with around three-fourths of those cases involving firearms. 

And only about a quarter of those 2,345 cases ever led to arrests. And of that population of arrested individuals, nearly two-thirds were juveniles.

That’s a shockingly high propensity of juvenile offenders. Stimson points out, “16- and 17-year-old violent offenders, like armed carjackers, can be prosecuted as adults by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. But that didn’t happen in the Biden administration, or, for that matter, virtually any administration.”

This is thanks in no small part D.C.’s existing legal framework which shields minors from meaningful consequences under the guise of promoting rehabilitation over punishment. Whatever the intention, it creates a revolving door for repeat offenders.

“Between 2013 and 2023, only 176 juveniles were prosecuted as adults in the District for violent crimes and of those, only one was convicted of armed carjacking and two for unarmed carjacking… If we continue to treat violent young offenders with kid gloves, we send the wrong message—to victims, to communities, and to the offenders themselves,” wrote Stimson.

But how did President Trump fare in his first term? Markedly better in all regards. 

Last year, D.C. carjackings fell by an astonishing 87%. Of 232 cases, 134 resulted in arrests. Furthermore, crime fell overall by at least 15%, with a 45% reduction in violent crime specifically. Robberies, homicides, and other gun-related offenses also saw measurable declines while illegal gun recoveries and arrests rose 12% and 20% respectively.

That progress is a direct result of Trump’s decision to send nearly 2,000 National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officers to patrol streets.

Initially, the number of troops was lower—at 800—but was later raised to better bolster law enforcement efforts. That first figure was given by the President during an August 11, 2025 news conference in which he declared a public safety emergency for the city.

"I'm announcing a historic action to rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse," Trump said during the event. 

Trump’s usual critics, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), were quick to jump in with predictable protestations. Jeffries in particular claimed the move had "no basis in law" and accused the administration of “consistently [breaking] the law and [violating] the Constitution to further the personal and political agenda of a wannabe king," Jeffries said.

But the help was welcome—and effective. Though Bowser hadn’t requested the help, she did recognize a swift crime reduction in only two weeks and even took heat from her Democrat colleagues for expressing “great appreciation” to the Trump administration for their efforts. 

For the vast majority of people who live, work, and spend time in Washington, D.C.,—be they liberal, conservative, or anything else—the difference between safe and unsafe streets matters a great deal more than displays of partisanship and the bickering of team sports. In this case, most parties now recognize President Trump deserves no small share of credit for his willingness to deploy federal troops and take D.C. 's crime problem seriously when others found it inexpedient to do so.

“The dramatic drop in offenses and improved arrest ratios show what happens when leadership prioritizes safety and accountability,” wrote Stimson. “Now policymakers must follow suit. It’s time to close the loopholes, empower law enforcement, and protect our city from the scourge of violent juvenile crime. The numbers tell the story; it’s up to us to write the next chapter.”