It’s “Liberation Day” in Washington, D.C. – The White House

Last updated: August 11, 2025 2:25 pm

In a striking move today, President Donald J. Trump initiated significant executive measures aimed at addressing the escalating issues of crime and homelessness in Washington, D.C., which he attributes to years of Democratic governance.

This morning, President Trump unveiled his strategy:

“Today marks Liberation Day in D.C. — we are taking our capital BACK.” (Watch)
“We’re declaring a public safety emergency in the District of Columbia — and Attorney General Pam Bondi is now leading the Metropolitan Police Department.” (Watch)
“Immediate enforcement operations will target known gangs, drug traffickers, and criminal networks to clear the streets.” (Watch)
“Currently, the murder rate in Washington exceeds that of Bogotá and Mexico City. Car thefts have doubled in the last five years, and carjackings have tripled.” (Watch)
“This alarming public safety crisis is a direct result of the failures of local leadership.” (Watch)

The President’s decisive actions have garnered approval from various residents and visitors:

“The mayor seems to lack control over the rampant activities,” shared a man mourning the loss of his three-year-old granddaughter to gun violence in D.C. (Watch)
“This is not a partisan issue; it’s fundamentally about public safety,” remarked a former D.C. advisory neighborhood commissioner. (Watch)
“If this action will reduce crime, it’s absolutely necessary,” stated a resident whose neighborhood recently experienced a violent shootout. (Read more)
“I’m thrilled they’re taking action; as the capital of the United States, we need to attract visitors. It’s fantastic to see more police presence for safety,” expressed a visitor to the nation’s capital. (Read more)
“Some days, I feel unsafe just stepping outside,” noted a D.C. resident. (Watch)
“I’ve become desensitized to the violence; it feels like the norm now,” a resident lamented, reflecting on repeated violent incidents in her area. (Watch)
“We were caught in the middle of a drive-by shooting, and it was terrifying,” recalled another D.C. resident. (Watch)
“There needs to be more action on juvenile crime; the lack of deterrents is alarming,” argued a concerned resident. (Watch)

Throughout his campaign, President Trump promised to transform our capital city into a “safe and beautiful” place for all Americans — and today, he is taking steps to fulfill that promise.

See also Eliminating Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Medicaid My Administration has been relentlessly committed to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in Government programs to preserve and protect them for those who rely most on them. The Medicaid program was designed to be a program to compassionately provide taxpayer dollars to healthcare providers who offer care to the most vulnerable Americans. To keep payments reasonable, billable costs for such care were historically capped at the same level that healthcare providers could receive from Medicare. The State and Federal Governments jointly shared this cost burden to ensure those of lesser means did not go untreated. Under the Biden Administration, States and healthcare providers were permitted to game the system. For example, States "taxed" healthcare providers, but sent the same money back to them in the form of a "Medicaid payment," which automatically unlocked for healthcare providers an additional "burden-sharing" payment from the Federal Government. Through this gimmick, the State could avoid contributing money toward Medicaid services, meaning the State no longer had a reason to be prudent in the amount of reimbursement provided. Instead of paying Medicare rates, many States that utilize these arrangements now pay the same healthcare providers almost three times the Medicare amount, a practice encouraged by the Biden Administration. These State Directed Payments have rapidly accelerated, quadrupling in magnitude over the last 4 years and reaching $110 billion in 2024 alone. This trajectory threatens the Federal Treasury and Medicaid's long-term stability, and the imbalance between Medicaid and Medicare patients threatens to jeopardize access to care for our seniors. I pledged to protect and improve these important Government healthcare programs for those that rely on them. Seniors on Medicare and Medicaid recipients both deserve access to quality care in a system free from the fraud, waste, and abuse, that enriches the unscrupulous and jeopardizes the programs themselves. We will take action to continue to love and cherish the Medicare and Medicaid programs to ensure they are preserved for those who need them most. The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall therefore take appropriate action to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid, including by ensuring Medicaid payments rates are not higher than Medicare, to the extent permitted by applicable law. This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. DONALD J. TRUMP