Trump says to move homeless people 'far' from Washington

.


AFP August 11, 2025 1 min read
US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on July 22, 2025. Photo: AFP

print-news
WASHINGTON:

President Donald Trump said Sunday that homeless people must be moved "far" from Washington, after days of musing about taking federal control of the US capital where he has falsely suggested crime is rising.

The Republican billionaire has announced a press conference for Monday in which he is expected to reveal his plans for Washington -- which is run by the locally elected government of the District of Columbia under congressional oversight.

It is an arrangement Trump has long publicly chafed at. He has threatened to federalize the city and give the White House the final say in how it is run.

"I'm going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before," the president posted on his Truth Social platform Sunday.

"The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital," he continued, adding that criminals in the city would be swiftly imprisoned.

"It's all going to happen very fast," he said.

Washington is ranked 15th on a list of major US cities by homeless population, according to government statistics from last year.

While thousands of people spend each night in shelters or on the streets, the figure are down from pre-pandemic levels.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ