Bondi names DEA head as DC's 'emergency police commissioner,' but
capital leaders push back
[August 15, 2025]
By ASHRAF KHALIL and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration, stepping up its crackdown on
policing in the nation's capital, on Thursday named the head of the Drug
Enforcement Administration to be Washington's “emergency police
commissioner" with all the powers of the police chief — a significant
move that increases national control over the city as part of the
federal government's law-enforcement takeover.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a directive issued Thursday evening
that DEA boss Terry Cole will assume “powers and duties vested in the
District of Columbia Chief of Police.” The Metropolitan Police
Department “must receive approval from Commissioner Cole” before issuing
any orders, Bondi said. It was not immediately clear where the move left
Pamela Smith, the city's current police chief, who works for the mayor.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb responded late Thursday that Bondi’s
directive was “unlawful,” arguing that it could not be followed by the
city’s police force. “Therefore, members of MPD must continue to follow
your orders and not the orders of any official not appointed by the
Mayor,” Schwalb wrote in a memo to Smith, setting up a potential legal
clash between the heavily Democratic district and the Republican
administration.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote on social media that “there is no
statute that conveys the District’s personnel authority to a federal
official.”
Bondi’s directive came hours after Smith directed MPD officers to share
information with immigration agencies regarding people not in custody —
such as someone involved in a traffic stop or checkpoint. The Justice
Department said Bondi disagreed with the police chief’s directive
because it allowed for continued enforcement of “sanctuary policies.”
Bondi said she was rescinding that order as well as other MPD policies
limiting inquires into immigration status and preventing arrests based
solely on federal immigration warrants. All new directives must now
receive approval from Cole, the attorney general said.
Another expansion of federal authority
The police takeover is the latest move by President Donald Trump to test
the limits of his legal authorities to carry out his agenda, relying on
obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to bolster his
tough-on-crime message and his plans to speed up the mass deportation of
people in the U.S. illegally.
It also marks one of the most sweeping assertions of federal authority
over a local government in modern times. While Washington has grappled
with spikes in violence and visible homelessness, the city’s homicide
rate ranks below those of several other major U.S. cities and the
capital is not in the throes of the public safety collapse the
administration has portrayed.
The late-night announcement came after an eventful day in the ongoing
federal operation. Smith's earlier directive effectively brought
together Trump's moves on city law enforcement and his nationwide
efforts to curb immigration, and Trump had praised it in the hours
before Bondi's announcement.
“That’s a very positive thing, I have heard that just happened,” Trump
said of Smith’s order. “That’s a great step. That’s a great step if
they’re doing that.”
A population already tense from days of ramp-up began seeing more
significant shows of force across the city Thursday. National Guard
troops watched over some of the world’s most renowned landmarks and
Humvees took position in front of the busy main train station.
Volunteers helped homeless people leave long-standing encampments — to
where, exactly, was often unclear.
Department of Homeland Security police stood outside Nationals Park
during a game Thursday between the Washington Nationals and the
Philadelphia Phillies. DEA agents patrolled The Wharf, a popular
nightlife area, while Secret Service officers were seen in the Foggy
Bottom neighborhood.
Bowser, walking a tightrope between the Republican White House and the
constituency of her largely Democratic city, was out of town Thursday
for a family commitment in Martha’s Vineyard but would be back Friday,
her office said.
A boost in police activity, federal and otherwise
For an already wary Washington, Thursday marked a notable — and highly
visible — uptick in presence from the previous two days. The visibility
of federal forces around the city, including in many high-traffic areas,
was striking to residents going about their lives. Trump has the power
to take over federal law enforcement for 30 days before his actions must
be reviewed by Congress, though he has said he’ll re-evaluate as that
deadline approaches.
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Department of Homeland Security police officers interact with people
arriving at Nationals Park during a baseball game between the
Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies in Washington,
Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
The response before Thursday had been gradual and, by all
appearances, low key. But on Wednesday night, officers set up a
checkpoint in one of D.C.'s popular nightlife areas, drawing
protests. The White House said 45 arrests were made Wednesday night,
with 29 people arrested for living in the country illegally; other
arrests included for distribution or possession of drugs, carrying a
concealed weapon and assaulting a federal officer.
Troops were stationed outside the Union Station transportation hub
as the 800 Guard members who have been activated by Trump start in
on missions that include monument security, community safety patrols
and beautification efforts, the Pentagon said.
“They will remain until law and order has been restored in the
District as determined by the president, standing as the gatekeepers
of our great nation’s capital,” Pentagon press secretary Kingsley
Wilson said. “The National Guard is uniquely qualified for this
mission as a community-based force with strong local ties and
disciplined training.”
Wilson said the troops won’t be armed and declined to give more
details on what the safety patrols or beautification efforts would
entail or how many Guard members have already been sent out on the
streets.
National Guard Major Micah Maxwell said troops will assist law
enforcement in a variety of roles, including traffic control posts
and crowd control. The Guard members have been trained in
de-escalation tactics and crowd control equipment, Maxwell said.
The White House said Thursday that Guard members aren’t making
arrests but are “protecting federal assets, providing a safe
environment for law enforcement officers to make arrests, and
deterring violent crime with a visible law enforcement presence.”
Although the current deployment is taking place under unprecedented
circumstances, National Guard troops are a semi-regular presence in
D.C., typically being used during mass public events like the annual
July 4 celebration. They have regularly been used in the past for
crowd control in and around Metro stations.
Trump on Thursday denied that the federal law enforcement officials
he sent into Washington’s streets to fight crime have been diverted
from priority assignments like counterterrorism. Asked if he was
concerned about that, Trump said he’s using a “very small force” of
soldiers and that city police are now allowed to do their job
properly amidst his security lockdown.
For homeless residents, an uncertain time is at hand
Meanwhile, about a dozen homeless residents in Washington packed up
their belongings with help from volunteers from charitable groups
and staffers from some city agencies. Items largely were not
forcibly thrown out by law enforcement, but a garbage truck idled
nearby.
Several protesters held signs close by, some critical of the Trump
administration. Once the residents had left, a construction vehicle
from a city agency cleared through the remains of the tents.
The departures were voluntary, but they came in response to a clear
threat from the Trump administration. Advocates expect law
enforcement officers to fan out across D.C. in the coming days to
forcibly take down any remaining homeless encampments. In Washington
Circle, which still contains a few tents, city workers put up signs
announcing “general cleanup of this public space” starting at 10
a.m. Monday.
___
Associated Press journalists Jacquelyn Martin, Mike Pesoli, Darlene
Superville and David Klepper contributed to this report.
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