On Friday, August 15, 2025, the Justice Department reached an agreement with Washington, D.C. officials over who controls the city's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), ending a week-long dispute sparked by a federal directive that had attempted to change the MPD’s leadership structure. Under the new arrangement, the local police chief appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser remains in charge; instead of exercising command, federal designee Terry Cole will now coordinate with the MPD through the mayor’s office.
Earlier in the week, President Trump invoked Section 740 of the 1973 Home Rule Act to install DEA Administrator Terry Cole as an “emergency” police commissioner, effectively bypassing the mayor and the police chief. Washington officials quickly challenged the move, with Attorney General Brian Schwalb dubbing it a “hostile takeover” and filing a lawsuit claiming it violated local governance laws. At a tense hearing, Judge Ana Reyes signaled willingness to grant a restraining order unless the directive was revised.
In the end, the revised order stripped Cole of executive command, repositioning him as a liaison tasked only with requesting services from the MPD, while leaving strategic control firmly in the hands of the city-appointed chief . Schwalb praised the outcome, stating that authority over the department “is under the chief of police appointed by the mayor.” Mayor Bowser similarly underscored that D.C.’s governance structure remains intact, asserting the resolution reaffirmed local control.
The episode underlines how Washington, D.C.'s unique legal status continues to generate friction between federal powers and local autonomy. Trump’s framing of the city as under siege, citing homelessness and crime clashed with local data showing violent crime at a 30-year low and residents rejecting his portrayal. The resolution may serve as a precedent for curbing executive overreach in future emergencies, while spotlighting the delicate balance between federal authority and home-rule values in the U.S. capital.