President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that he is prepared to place Washington, D.C. under direct federal control if the city’s government does not, in his words, “get its act together” on crime. Speaking on Aug. 5, the president said local officials must allow tougher prosecution of “local youths and gang members” as adults for violent offenses or face a federal takeover. Trump linked the threat to a recent assault in the capital, saying a staff member from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was severely beaten while intervening to protect a woman from an attempted attack. "Either they’re gonna straighten their act out in terms of government and protection, or we’re gonna have to federalize," he said. The president did not specify a timeline for possible action or detail the legal mechanism his administration would use to assume control of the district. Local D.C. authorities had not immediately responded to the remarks as of Tuesday evening.