Bondi Names DEA Chief as DC Emergency Police Commissioner

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5 hrs ago

Above: Terry Cole outside the White House in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 12, 2025. Image copyright: Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg/Getty Images

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The Spin

Republican narrative

Federal intervention in D.C. is necessary to address a genuine public safety crisis that local officials have failed to tackle effectively. The deployment of National Guard troops and federal takeover of police operations will finally provide the resources needed to combat violent crime and end sanctuary policies that protect criminal aliens from deportation and undermine national security and immigration law enforcement efforts.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi FOX News United States Department of Justice

Democratic narrative

Trump's autocratic federal takeover undermines D.C.'s limited self-governance under the Home Rule Act. It constitutes executive overreach, as no legal statute transfers the District's personnel authority to federal officials during a presidential emergency declaration. This brazen action circumvents established legal frameworks and disregards the autonomy granted to the District, thereby undermining the balance of power and legal authority.

The Washington Post X Attorney General Brian Schwalb