President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak on Aug. 11 about his public safety initiative in Washington, D.C.
Trump’s focus on crime in the nation’s capital follows an attack on a high-profile Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer Edward Coristine, 19, also known as “BigBalls.” But violent crime decreased in 2024, marking at least a 30-year low, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Trump has sent hundreds of federal law enforcement officers from 18 agencies including the FBI, the Secret Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration, to Washington’s high-traffic areas and hotspots.
Trump’s press conference Monday morning could reveal further efforts his administration is taking to address crime in the city. Here is how to tune in:
What time is Trump speaking?
Trump is scheduled to speak at 10 a.m. eastern on Monday, Aug. 11.
Trump said on Truth Social that the press conference “will not only involve ending the Crime, Murder, and Death in our Nation’s Capital, but will also be about Cleanliness and the General Physical Renovation and Condition of our once beautiful and well maintained Capital.”
How to watch Trump’s press conference
USA TODAY will cover the press conference live on YouTube. Watch here:
Can Trump take over DC? What we know
Trump has long railed against D.C. Recently, he has revisited talk of a federal takeover of the nation’s capital.
But a federal takeover would require Congressional action.
Two Republicans have introduced legislation in Congress that would repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973, which gives the city local governance.
Washington, D.C., leans heavily Democratic and has a Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser.
“The Mayor of D.C., Muriel Bowser, is a good person who has tried, but she has been given many chances, and the Crime Numbers get worse, and the City only gets dirtier and less attractive,” Trump said in the Truth Social post on Aug. 10.
Data compiled by the D.C. Metropolitan Police shows violent crime in D.C. decreased by 35% in 2024.
Contributing: Zac Anderson, Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: What time is Trump speaking today? He plans to address crime in DC. Watch live
Reporting by Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
