A Legal Order With Sweeping Power
The Executive Order invokes Section 740 of the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act (Public Law 93-198), commonly known as the Home Rule Act. This provision grants the President the authority to direct the Mayor in “special conditions of an emergency nature” to provide Metropolitan Police services for federal purposes.
In Trump’s own words from the order:
“I determine that special conditions of an emergency nature exist that require the use of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia for Federal purposes, including maintaining law and order in the Nation’s seat of Government.”
Effective immediately, the Mayor of D.C. “shall provide the services of the Metropolitan Police force for Federal purposes for the maximum period permitted under section 740 of the Home Rule Act.”
Impact on the Mayor’s Authority
One of the most significant — and politically explosive — aspects of this order is that it effectively strips the Mayor of D.C. of any control over the Metropolitan Police Department until further notice.
Under Section 3 of the order, Trump formally delegated operational control to the U.S. Attorney General, directing that the Attorney General may “deem necessary and appropriate” the use of the Metropolitan Police for federal purposes.
This means the D.C. police chain of command now runs through the DOJ, not City Hall. Federal priorities — from protecting federal buildings to ensuring uninterrupted government operations — will guide law enforcement strategy in the capital.
