Comparing the Drop in Murders in D.C. and Memphis After Federalizing Law Enforcement with the Same Months a Year Earlier Under the Biden Administration

Comparing the Drop in Murders in D.C. and Memphis After Federalizing Law Enforcement with the Same Months a Year Earlier Under the Biden Administration

Murders vary a lot over the course of a year. Before Trump intervened, Memphis had the nation’s fourth-highest murder rate among cities with more than 100,000 residents, while D.C. ranked 11th. Trump took federal control of D.C.’s policing on August 11, 2025. Comparing September through December 2025 with the same four months in 2024—the final four full months of the Biden administration—murders plunged 64%, from 63 to 23. At the same time, D.C.…