Yes, Trump Really Did Say Police Can Do Whatever They Want

During an Aug. 11, 2025 press conference, President Donald Trump addressed the rising crime rate in Washington, D.C., claiming it has skyrocketed to outrageous levels. “We doubled up on Baghdad,” he stated, adding that the city’s crime rate has even surpassed that of Mexico City.

Trump also mentioned that car thefts have doubled over the past five years, adding, “Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals… drugged-out maniacs and homeless people.” However, per AP News, violent crime rates in D.C. have actually declined significantly since 2023.

Amid his tough talk about the city’s crime surge, Trump vowed, “We’re not gonna let it happen anymore, we’re not gonna take it.” He announced that he was placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control, deploying members of the National Guard, with the police operating under federal directives.

He also made a bold, and somewhat concerning, comment suggesting police will now have the authority to do whatever they want. Here’s the full context.

Following his announcement that the National Guard would be deployed to take control of Washington, D.C., Trump made it clear the police will now have the authority to “do whatever the hell they want.” He assured that the National Guard are “very good people — tough, experienced, and fully aware of what’s going on. They’ve done it before.”

Trump’s comment about the police being able to do whatever they want stemmed from his remarks about how the people contributing to the violence often fight back against law enforcement, sometimes even spitting in their faces, with officers unable to respond.

But he isn’t letting that slide anymore. With the National Guard in place, he said he instructed them to tell these offenders, “You spit, and we hit,” adding, “We hit real hard.”

Trump added that the police will now “be allowed to do their job properly,” declaring, “We’re gonna take our capital back… we’re taking it back.”

During the Aug. 11 press conference, Trump also threw out some statistics about Washington, D.C.’s crime rate and suggested things are only getting worse. “It’s getting worse, it’s not getting better,” he said, adding, “Under Biden it was a disaster, and nobody did anything about it… we’re gonna do things about it like you wouldn’t believe.” Perhaps giving police free rein to handle things their way?

He also claimed the homicide rate is higher than “the worst places on earth.” But Politifact fact-checked those numbers and found that the data Trump referred to was from 2023, and the homicide rate in the district has actually fallen. The source also noted that the rate was not “the worst in the world then or now.”

Regardless, Trump is adamant about taking back control of Washington, D.C., as heinous and unprovoked crimes continue to transpire. “We’re gonna clean it up real quick,” he said, adding, “We’re getting rid of the slums here.”