President Trump issues ultimatum to homeless people in Washington DC
Aug 11, 2025
Washington [US], August 11: Looking to deliver on his pledges in Washington DC, US President Donald Trump has vowed to relocate homeless people and end violent crime in the area.
US President Donald Trump on August 10 ordered homeless people to leave Washington DC or be deported, and vowed to use federal forces to arrest criminals, even though crime in the US capital was at its lowest level in 30 years since he took office in January.
"Homeless people must leave immediately. We will give you shelter, but it will be far away from the capital," he wrote on the social network Truth Social after traveling from the White House to his golf club in Virginia by car.
The post included four photos that appeared to be taken from his motorcade, including two showing tents on the grass along a highway less than 2 km from the White House, according to The Guardian.
A third photo shows a person sleeping on the steps of the Institute of Medicine building on Constitution Avenue. The other shows the motorcade taking Mr. Trump to his golf course passing some roadside trash on E Street, near the Kennedy Center.
President Trump previously said he would "basically end violent crime" in the capital region, but did not elaborate on how he would do so.
In another social media post, he said he would hold a press conference at 10am on August 11 (local time) and the content "will not only be related to ending crime, murder and death in the capital, but also about hygiene".
The Free DC movement, which advocates for self-determination, had planned to hold a protest at the time of Mr Trump's press conference.
Contrary to Mr Trump 's claims , the figures show that there is no homelessness or violent crime in the capital at the level of an "epidemic".
According to the Community Partnership, an organization that works to prevent homelessness in Washington DC, about 800 homeless people sleep outdoors every night in the city of about 700,000 people.
Additionally, 3,275 people are using emergency shelters in Washington DC and 1,065 are in temporary facilities awaiting transition.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
