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Trump touts crime crackdown, pledges cleaner D.C. during visit with officers

President Trump thanked officers and National Guard Troops for their service and said their efforts were making the country run

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump visited a U.S. Park Police facility in Washington where he addressed a crowd of hundreds of law enforcement officers and National Guard members amid a sweeping anti-crime initiative, CBS News reported.

During the Aug. 21 visit, Trump thanked officers for their service, distributed hamburgers and pizza, and said their efforts were making the country run. He described the federal surge in Washington as part of a broader plan to clean up the city, promising that the capital would be “maxed out in terms of beauty” within six to 12 months through graffiti removal, landscaping improvements and infrastructure repairs.

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The initiative has brought an estimated 2,000 National Guard members from D.C. and several states into the city, along with federal agents from the FBI, DEA, and other agencies. According to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the effort has resulted in 630 arrests and the seizure of 86 illegal firearms.

Trump’s visit comes as the Justice Department recently backed away from efforts to assert emergency control over the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, following a lawsuit from city leaders.

Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller also visited Guard members stationed at Union Station earlier in the week as part of the administration’s show of support.

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Joanna Putman is an Associate Editor and newswriter at Police1, where she has been covering law enforcement topics since August 2023. Based in Orlando, Florida, she holds a journalism degree from the University of Florida and spent two years working in nonprofit local newsrooms, gaining experience in community-focused reporting. Married to a law enforcement officer, she works hard to highlight the challenges and triumphs of those who serve and protect. Have a news tip? Email her at news@lexipol.com