Section 740 of the Home Rule Act allows the president to federalize the D.C. police department, which is known as the Metropolitan Police. Specifically, Section 740 says: “whenever the President of the United States determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the Metropolitan Police force for Federal purposes, he may direct the Mayor to provide him, and the Mayor shall provide, such services …”
The president must notify Congress of the action within 48 hours, which can stay in place for up to 30 days. In August 2025, Pres. Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to invoke Section 740. The emergency he cited was “total lawlessness” within the District of Columbia, despite the fact that crime rates that have declined since spiking during the COVID-19 pandemic.