STORY: U.S. President Donald Trump took his law-and-order message to the streets of the nation's capital on Thursday (August 21), visiting a command center to thank law enforcement officers who are carrying out his crime crackdown.

Trump last week deployed National Guard soldiers and federal agents to the city. He said he was temporarily taking over the city's police department in an extraordinary assertion of presidential power, citing what he said is a violent crime wave.

City officials have rejected the assertion, pointing to federal and city statistics that show violent crime has declined significantly since a spike in 2023.

Trump, without citing evidence, told several hundred uniformed personnel gathered at the U.S. Park Police Anacostia Operations Facility that their efforts were leading to a drop in crime.

"We're going to have the best capital ever," he vowed.

Trump on Thursday was joined by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, his White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, architect of Trump's migrant crackdown.

Trump's administration this week ordered federal prosecutors in Washington to be more aggressive in pursuing criminal cases against people arrested as part of the crackdown in the nation's capital, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The move marked an escalation of Trump's push against what he has described as a wave of crime and homelessness in Washington.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP JOINING THE POLICE AND NATIONAL GUARD FOR A PATROL OF WASHINGTON DC / SOUNDBITES FROM TRUMP AND U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT.

SHOWS: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITES STATES (AUGUST 21, 2025) (U.S. NETWORK POOL - No use USA)

1. LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL FROM MULTIPLE AGENCIES STANDING OUTSIDE U.S. PARK POLICE HEADQUARTERS

2. U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI STEPPING OUTSIDE ALONGSIDE U.S. SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR DOUG BURGUM, FOLLOWED BY WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF STEVEN MILLER AND OTHER OFFICIALS

3. VARIOUS OF U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP STEPPING OUTSIDE TO MEET WITH CROWD OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING: (CONTINUES OVER WIDE SHOTS OF TRUMP SPEAKING)

“We're not playing games. We're going to make it safe and we're going to then go on to other places. But we're going to stay here for a while. We want to make this absolutely perfect. It's our capital, and this place was emblematic of it with the crime, the horrible crime. And, you know, I, I watch these phony reports. Oh, we were on the way back. They weren't on the way back. It was worse than ever just a short while ago. But now it's going to be, I think now right, now it's better than it has been in years. And in a couple of weeks, it's going to be even far better than that. And everybody's safe now. Everybody feels safe and they're all coming in and people are now coming in, they're making reservations to come in. They want to be in Washington, D.C. One of the things we're going to be redoing is your parks. I'm very good at grass because I have a lot of golf courses all over the place. I know more about grass than any human being, I think, anywhere in the world. And we're going to be regrassing all of your parks, all brand new sprinkler systems, the best that you can buy.”

5. TRUMP SPEAKING BEFORE CROWD OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

“And I just think it's really it's such an honor to be with you. And we're going to make Washington, D.C. great again. We're making our country great again. The country is very close to being great when they say it's the hottest country in the world, they mean it. And this capital is right now after four days, five days. It's at a level that you haven't seen in a long time. And it's all because you said, I want to thank you all very much. It's an honor to be with you.”

7. TRUMP SPEAKING

8.(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL, PAM BONDI, SAYING:

“All of our federal agencies are out here. Our amazing Park Police, they are working hand in hand to make D.C. safe. They're out here working midnights every night because they love our country. They love our city. And they love you. They're all telling me that, are we going to get to look at them getting a thumbs up? They're all out here going, ‘are we going to meet the president?’ I told you. And I think you brought some food for them, didn't you? President?”

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

“We have great hamburgers cooked by the White House and we have pizza that I said don't do it in the White House, because we went to a place that makes the best pizza. So we'll concede. But we have a lot of it. So we're going to have some fun. We'll eat and I'll eat with you and we're going to have a little fun. We're going to celebrate, but then we're going to get back to work and we're going to take care of these criminals. We're going to put them where they have to be. We're going to, you're going to say, don't, don't play around with us.”

10. TRUMP GREETING TROOPS