Arrests under President Donald Trump’s federal crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., have now topped 1,000 as the nation’s capital celebrated its 12th straight day without a homicide, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Monday.
Pirro reported that on Sunday alone, authorities made 86 arrests and seized 10 illegal guns, bringing the totals to 1,007 arrests and 111 firearms removed from the streets.
“What does that mean? They can’t be used to shoot people, to kill people,” Pirro said Monday on “Fox & Friends,” referencing the weapons seizures. “And on top of all of that, we’ve got a government now where the people in D.C. are feeling safer. They know that there is a president who’s looking to protect them.”
Some National Guard Troops Are Now Armed in Washington, D.C.
Metropolitan Police officers are detaining suspects as National Guard troops patrol the National Mall under President Trump’s federal crime crackdown.
Pirro credited Trump’s mobilization of federal agencies with transforming public safety in the capital.
“D.C. was one of the most violent cities in the world, and but for President Trump coming in and bringing in our federal partners… we’ve got a unified force of people and law enforcement who were going into the crime-ridden areas and making a difference,” she said.
“And I’ll tell you why it’s making a difference. Today is the 12th day without a homicide in Washington, D.C. So far this year, we’ve had 101 homicides. But for the last 12 days, nothing. Yep. Policing works.”
FBI Director Kash Patel noted that 26 of Sunday’s arrests came from FBI operations, including five drug seizures. “Keep getting after it,” Patel posted on X.
Pirro also responded to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a Democrat, who claimed that only nine arrests had been made under the federal crackdown. Johnson criticized reports suggesting Trump might deploy a similar operation in Chicago, calling the efforts “uncoordinated, uncalled-for and unsound.”
Pirro insisted the Washington rollout is effective and deterring criminals.
“The good news is that they’re afraid to commit crimes when you have increased law enforcement in the community, especially in crime-ridden areas. They’re saying thank you,” Pirro said. “They’re afraid to commit crimes because they know they will be held accountable – Johnson ought to hope that the president comes there to clean up the mess in Chicago.”
Chicago, home to about 2.7 million people, has led the nation in homicides for 13 consecutive years, with 573 recorded in 2024 alone, according to city data.
On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order targeting Washington, D.C., directing police to charge suspects with federal crimes and hold them in federal custody to prevent cashless bail. He also issued a separate executive order threatening to revoke federal funding from jurisdictions that use cashless bail.
The updated D.C. crime figures coincide with National Guard units in the capital now authorized to carry firearms, according to the D.C. National Guard, with some troops already observed armed on patrol.
Trump activated the National Guard earlier this month to assist in curbing violent crime, targeting gang members, robbery suspects, and immigration violators.
The crackdown quietly began Aug. 7 with the launch of the “Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful” task force, created by Trump through an executive order in March. It escalated on Aug. 11 when the president temporarily assumed federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department under emergency powers granted by the Home Rule Act – the first time such authority has been used in U.S. history.
Alongside the National Guard and FBI, the effort involves multiple federal agencies, including the U.S. Marshals, ATF, DEA, Capitol Police, and Park Police, working with local officers in high-crime neighborhoods.
