Trump Administration Slashes DC Security Funds by 44% Despite Claim Crime Is ‘Totally Out of Control’
Trump Administration Slashes DC Security Funds by 44% Despite Claim Crime Is ‘Totally Out of Control’
The Trump administration has announced deep cuts to security funding for Washington, D.C., even as President Donald Trump claims crime in the nation’s capital is “totally out of control.”
According to a grant notice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) posted last week, the National Capital Region which includes DC and surrounding cities in Maryland and Virginia will receive $25.2 million in federal security funding this year, a 44% reduction from last year’s allocation. The cut amounts to $20 million less than in 2024, marking the steepest drop for any U.S. urban area receiving funds under the program last fiscal year.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, defended the decision, saying the changes reflect a recalibration of priorities.
The agency said on Friday the cuts were designed to align with the “current threat landscape,” explaining it has “observed a shift from large-scale, coordinated attacks like 9/11 to simpler, small-scale assaults, heightening the vulnerability of soft targets and crowded spaces in urban areas.”
Other major cities including Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Jersey City, and San Francisco also saw reductions, though none as severe as DC.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The security grants have historically covered a range of needs in the region, including hazmat training, officer recruitment, and upgrades to the emergency communications network’s fiber infrastructure, according to a 2016 report from D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.
This year, FEMA has $553.5 million to distribute nationally under the program. It is unclear how much of the National Capital Region’s overall security budget comes from these federal funds.
The funding cuts come just days after Trump ordered federal police to “step up their presence in the capital” following the reported attack on a staffer, Edward Coristine. The move is the latest in a series of steps toward a stronger federal role in managing the city.
Despite the president’s claim that crime is spiraling, violent crime in DC actually dropped by 35% between 2023 and 2024, according to a December report from the US Attorney’s Office for DC.
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