END TRUMP’S UNLAWFUL TAKEOVER OF D.C.
QUICK READ: In attempting a hostile takeover of our nation’s capital, Trump’s overridden local laws, deployed the National guard without DC’s consent, seized control of its police and immigration policies, flooded it with reassigned federal law enforcement, razed houseless encampments and imprisoned inhabitants, turned misdemeanors into federal felonies with long jail sentences, and terrorized the local population—an authoritarian power grab meant to demonstrate his power and normalize the future presence and unlawful use of the military in blue-state cities. Congress must stop him before it’s too late.
CONTENTS:
BACKGROUND
In a blatant abuse of power, Trump launched an extremely unpopular hostile federal takeover of Washington, D.C., declaring a fake crime emergency to allow him to federalize the local police and deploy 2000+ subsequently armed National Guard troops from DC and red states to heavily policed, low-crime parts of DC and 500 newly repositioned officers from 10 federal agencies who are armed, sometimes masked, and always unidentified and violently profiling, harassing, arresting, and disappearing black and brown residents during random traffic stops, at checkpoints, and while out on patrol across the city.
This wannabe dictator then spread inflammatory, fearmongering lies about DC—calling it a crime-ridden hellscape—to justify his overreach, and, because DOJ statistics showed violent crime at a 30-year low, he questioned their authenticity and demanded DOJ investigate. To boost Trump’s false narrative, MAGA’s newly confirmed U.S. Attorney ordered that all arrested, even for petty offenses, be prosecuted in federal court for the most serious crime chargeable.
Mississippi’s, Louisiana’s, Ohio’s, West Virginia’s, South Carolina’s, and Tennessee’s governors, seeking to curry favor, each sent hundreds of National Guards allegedly to help fight crime. Ironically, at least 10 cities in those states have much higher crime rates than DC and 53 have higher murder rates.
This egregious misuse of the military domestically to silence dissent and cripple local authority is prohibited by the Posse Comitatus Act. Congress must stop it right now, before Trump deploys National Guardsmen to patrol other blue cities or to assist ICE’s cruel operations.
ACTION One: Call the Senate.
Script for Oregon Senators
SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump is weaponizing law enforcement and military force to intimidate us into subservience and lay the groundwork for turning America into an authoritarian state. As your constituent, I demand that you (1) take what he’s doing seriously, (2) trumpet loudly and clearly, over and over, that his militarization of the National Guard is illegal and his diversion of federal law enforcement undermines our national security and makes him the most anti-law enforcement president in American history, (3) publicize and push to unblock House Republicans’ unjust hold on $1 billion of DC’s tax revenue, and (4) support H.J.Res. 115, which ends Trump’s executive order and reinstates DC home rule, and reject any bill attempting to extend the takeover, and (5) put forward and fight for legislation making D.C. the 51st state.
SEN. WYDEN:
Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump is weaponizing law enforcement and military force to intimidate us into subservience and lay the groundwork for turning America into an authoritarian state. As your constituent, I demand that you (1) take what he’s doing seriously, (2) trumpet loudly and clearly, over and over, that his militarization of the National Guard is illegal and his diversion of federal law enforcement undermines our national security and makes him the most anti-law enforcement president in American history, (3) publicize and push to unblock House Republicans’ unjust hold on $1 billion of DC’s tax revenue, and (4) support H.J.Res. 115, which ends Trump’s executive order and reinstates DC home rule, and reject any bill attempting to extend the takeover, and (5) put forward and fight for legislation making D.C. the 51st state.
Script for Republican Senators
D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].
Trump’s attempted hostile takeover of our nation’s capital and his use of the military and federal law enforcement personnel to terrorize its citizens is unconscionable. It infringes on DC’s right of self-governance and puts the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk, and you would certainly oppose similar actions jeopardizing your constituents. If you truly believe in the American experiment and the Constitution you swore to uphold, you must speak out against this extremely unpopular overreaching.
ACTION TWO: Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump is weaponizing law enforcement and military force to intimidate us into subservience and lay the groundwork for turning America into an authoritarian state. As your constituent, I demand that you (1) take what he’s doing seriously, (2) trumpet loudly and clearly, over and over, that his militarization of the National Guard is illegal and his diversion of federal law enforcement undermines our national security and makes him the most anti-law enforcement president in American history, (3) publicize and push to unblock House Republicans’ unjust hold on $1 billion of DC’s tax revenue, and (4) support H.J.Res. 115, which ends Trump’s executive order and reinstates DC home rule, and reject any bill attempting to extend the takeover, and (5) put forward and fight for legislation making D.C. the 51st state.
Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump’s attempted hostile takeover of our nation’s capital and his use of the military and federal law enforcement personnel to terrorize its citizens is unconscionable. It infringes on DC’s right of self-governance and puts the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk, and you would certainly oppose similar actions jeopardizing your constituents. If you truly believe in the American experiment and the Constitution you swore to uphold, you must speak out against this extremely unpopular overreaching.
Script for Maxine Dexter (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump is weaponizing law enforcement and military force to intimidate us into subservience and lay the groundwork for turning America into an authoritarian state. As your constituent, I demand that you (1) take what he’s doing seriously, (2) trumpet loudly and clearly, over and over, that his militarization of the National Guard is illegal and his diversion of federal law enforcement undermines our national security and makes him the most anti-law enforcement president in American history, (3) publicize and push to unblock House Republicans’ unjust hold on $1 billion of DC’s tax revenue, and (4) support H.J.Res. 115, which ends Trump’s executive order and reinstates DC home rule, and reject any bill attempting to extend the takeover, and (5) put forward and fight for legislation making D.C. the 51st state.
Script for Val Hoyle (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump is weaponizing law enforcement and military force to intimidate us into subservience and lay the groundwork for turning America into an authoritarian state. As your constituent, I demand that you (1) take what he’s doing seriously, (2) trumpet loudly and clearly, over and over, that his militarization of the National Guard is illegal and his diversion of federal law enforcement undermines our national security and makes him the most anti-law enforcement president in American history, (3) publicize and push to unblock House Republicans’ unjust hold on $1 billion of DC’s tax revenue, and (4) support H.J.Res. 115, which ends Trump’s executive order and reinstates DC home rule, and reject any bill attempting to extend the takeover, and (5) put forward and fight for legislation making D.C. the 51st state.
Script for Janelle Bynum (OR-05)
DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump is weaponizing law enforcement and military force to intimidate us into subservience and lay the groundwork for turning America into an authoritarian state. As your constituent, I demand that you (1) take what he’s doing seriously, (2) trumpet loudly and clearly, over and over, that his militarization of the National Guard is illegal and his diversion of federal law enforcement undermines our national security and makes him the most anti-law enforcement president in American history, (3) publicize and push to unblock House Republicans’ unjust hold on $1 billion of DC’s tax revenue, and (4) support H.J.Res. 115, which ends Trump’s executive order and reinstates DC home rule, and reject any bill attempting to extend the takeover, and (5) put forward and fight for legislation making D.C. the 51st state.
Script for Andrea Salinas (OR-06)
Salem office: 503-385-0906 | DC office: 202-225-5643
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Trump is weaponizing law enforcement and military force to intimidate us into subservience and lay the groundwork for turning America into an authoritarian state. As your constituent, I demand that you (1) take what he’s doing seriously, (2) trumpet loudly and clearly, over and over, that his militarization of the National Guard is illegal and his diversion of federal law enforcement undermines our national security and makes him the most anti-law enforcement president in American history, (3) publicize and push to unblock House Republicans’ unjust hold on $1 billion of DC’s tax revenue, and (4) support H.J.Res. 115, which ends Trump’s executive order and reinstates DC home rule, and reject any bill attempting to extend the takeover, and (5) put forward and fight for legislation making D.C. the 51st state.
FURTHER READING
What Trump Is Really Up to in Washington
Immigration Enforcement Takes Key Role in Trump’s D.C. Crime Crackdown
President Trump’s Recent Actions in Washington, D.C., Are an Abuse of Power and Threaten Public Safety for All
One Week of Trump’s DC Takeover Attempt
Trump’s Fake Emergencies are Straight Out of the Authoritarian Playbook
Trump, the National Guard, and the District of Columbia: What You Need to Know
As Trump’s Takeover of DC Grows, so do Warnings of ‘Brazen Abuse of Power”
What’s really going on in D.C. What you see depends on who’s filming
For D.C.’s Homeless Strained Lives Become More Unstable
Vance and Hegseth get booed as they survey Trump’s DC police state
Trump’s Domestic Deployment Are Dangerous. For the Military
House Dems Unveil Bill to End ‘Unlawful’ Trump Takeover of DC
DC still waits for Congress to restore $1 billion in funding during crime crackdown
