President Donald Trump announced plans to "liberate" Washington, D.C., aiming to eliminate crime and restore order in the capital. Speaking on August 11, 2025, Trump declared that crime, savagery, filth, and other social ills would disappear under his administration's efforts to "make our capital great again." He emphasized that the days of harming innocent people were over and highlighted his recent success in securing the U.S. border, citing zero illegal crossings in the past three months. Trump accused Democratic officials in Washington, D.C., of fabricating crime statistics, claiming that the actual crime rates are five to ten times higher than reported. He stated that the White House, along with the military and police forces, would take charge to "liberate" the city, removing corruption and making it safe, clean, habitable, and beautiful. On August 14, speaking at the Kennedy Center, Trump pledged to make Washington essentially crime-free and described the city as a future beacon and example of effective governance.