Forward Party Chief Executive Officer Lindsey Williams Drath denounced the federal government’s recent decision to place Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department under national control, warning that such measures risk deepening political divisions and undermining public trust in democratic governance.
In a message to supporters Wednesday, Drath described the National Guard’s presence in the capital as “a symptom of government dysfunction at multiple levels,” arguing that military deployment should be rare and reserved for genuine public safety emergencies. While acknowledging the D.C. government’s responsibility to address crime and homelessness, she urged leaders to focus on cooperation, transparency, and community engagement over displays of force.
The statement comes amid President Donald Trump’s decision to invoke an emergency provision of the D.C. Home Rule Act on Monday in response to what the White House called “a crime emergency” in the nation’s capital. In doing so, the administration ordered 800 National Guard troops into the city alongside federal agents. The administration frames the move as a decisive response to public safety concerns, but D.C. officials, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, have pushed back, calling it unjustified and “unsettling.”
The full text of Drath’s statement is republished below:
What’s Really Going On In D.C. Right Now
What we are seeing in D.C. right now is a symptom of government dysfunction at multiple levels. When political games replace thoughtful problem-solving, the result is instability, lost trust, and a government that further divides us. Placing the D.C. police force under national control and the threat of an extended presence of the National Guard are warning signs of that dysfunction.
Though the president has the legal right to take such actions, it should be incredibly rare and only in the face of dire public safety – not to make political statements. Yes, the D.C. government can and should do more to address crime and homelessness in the city, but the answers lie with cooperation, kindness, thoughtfulness and community engagement – not the deployment of the military in our nation’s capital.
Public safety must remain accountable to the people. The Forward Party believes the answer isn’t more force, it’s more trust built through transparency, fair representation, and leaders who solve problems instead of deepening divides. Real security comes from a functioning democracy, not from substituting soldiers for solutions.
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