MPD Press Conference Confusion

Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C. had to step in after Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith struggled to address a basic question during a press conference on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump announced that the National Guard would be deployed and mentioned a federal takeover of the MPD aimed at reducing crime in the district. This followed an incident involving Edward Coristine, an employee of the Office of Government Efficiency. During the event, reporters directed questions at both Smith and Bowser regarding the command structure of the MPD.

Smith responded vaguely, saying, “I’m not going to the details of our operations or the devil at this point. We’ll see the Metropolitan Police Department working alongside our federal partners…”

Confused, Smith asked, “What does that mean? Will Attorney General Pam Bondi be talking to the mayor? How does this work?”

Bowser, stepping in, reiterated the executive order’s clarity. “The president is requesting MPD services, and the Home Rules Charter outlines the process. The president has designated Attorney General Bondi as his representative to request my services,” she clarified.

Notably, the district has seen tragic incidents, including the fatal shooting of Eric Tarpinian Yachim, an intern for Kansas Republican Rep. Ron Estes, on June 30. Additionally, two Israeli Embassy employees were killed in a shooting in May linked to Prohama activists. There was also an attack on Democrat Angie Craig of Minnesota in her apartment in February 2023.

Despite some Democratic claims that MPD data shows a decrease in violent crimes by about a third, reports have emerged about a police commander, Michael Pulliam, being suspended due to alleged manipulation of crime data.