SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
The New York Daily News has uploaded what appears to be a recorded audio file of Energy Transfer Partners' Chief Operating Officer Matthew Ramsey saying that "election night changed everything" for the company as it relates to its embattled Dakota Access Pipeline. (Photo: via Linkedin)
Shaun King, a writer for the New York Daily News, has uploaded what appears to be a recorded audio file of Energy Transfer Partners' Chief Operating Officer saying that "election night changed everything" for the company as it relates to its embattled Dakota Access Pipeline.
Shaun King, a writer for the New York Daily News, has uploaded what appears to be a recorded audio file of Energy Transfer Partners' Chief Operating Officer saying that "election night changed everything" for the company as it relates to its embattled Dakota Access Pipeline.
King stated on social media and on the SoundCloud page on which he posted the file that a source sent him the file on December 13, hours after Matthew Ramsey -- COO of Energy Transfer Partners -- gave his speech. The source who gave King the audio, he explains on SoundCloud, "claimed to be in a corporate meeting at Energy Transfer Partners" and told him that the person speaking was Matthew Ramsey, the COO of Energy Transfer Partners. King also wrote that the recording was made during a mandatory company meeting.
"I've got to tell you, election night changed everything," Ramsey apparently said in the 10-minute clip, the authenticity of which DeSmog could not independently verify. "We now are going into a transition where we are going to have a new President of the United States who gets it. He understands what we're doing here and we fully expect that as soon as he gets inaugurated his team is going to move to get the final approvals done and we'll begin to put [Dakota Access] across Lake Oahe."
Dakota Access has yet to receive the easement permit it needs from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in order to cross Lake Oahe, which the company has publicly decried. Ramsey said in the clip, one in which the voice sounds similar to his voice heard in a November 21 company conference call, that it will take about 65 days to cross the lake once they get the permit.
Energy Transfer Partners recently saw one of the members of its Board of Directors, former Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry, nominated as U.S. Secretary of Energy by President-elect Donald Trump. Perry also sits on the Board of Directors of Dakota Access LLC co-owner, Sunoco Logistics.
Two days after the presidential election, Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren expressed a similar sense of jubilation about the prospects for Dakota Access when Trump assumes the White House.
"Having a government that actually backs up what they say that we're going to support infrastructure, we're going to support job creation, we're going to support growth in America, and then actually does it?," Warren told The Dallas Morning News. "My God, this is going to be refreshing."
Warren was a major donor to Perry's short-lived run for president during the Republican Party primary cycle and also served as a major donor to Trump's presidential campaign. Warren also sat on the advisory board for Perry's run for president.
Ramsey and Energy Transfer Partners spokeswoman Vicki Granado did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DeSmog.
In the tape, the voice that appears to belong to Ramsey spoke about the political battle ensuing over Dakota Access, which has lasted almost two years and recently stalled temporarily after the Army Corps of Engineers said it needed more time to do a more thorough environmental impact statement for the prospective Lake Oahe easement. The fight against the pipeline has engendered one of the largest cross-tribe mobilizations of Native American people in U.S. history.
"This has been quite a fight here on [Dakota Access]," remarked Ramsey. "So let me just tell you, make no mistake about it, this pipeline is going through. It's going through exactly where we have planned."
He also said Energy Transfer Partners "always, always plays by the rules" as it relates to following the letter of the law for its projects, saying that Dakota Access LLC "crossed every 't' [and] dotted every 'i'" relating to rules and regulations.
Police repression has also played a central role in the ongoing Dakota Access fight and so the audio confirms what many likely already thought. That is, law enforcement has worked closely alongside Dakota Access LLC to fend off those fighting against the project.
"We met with some of the officials in North Dakota [during a recent trip to the state]," said Ramsey. "We met with the National Sheriff's Association. People are tired of this. They're tired of seeing what's going on in the community and we think that the tide has turned and people are understanding what a great project this would be for the State of North Dakota. That came right out of the governor's mouth. He's very much in favor of this thing. So, I think we're off and running on [Dakota Access]."
"I know that everybody in this room has had to deal with the protesters. Everybody in this room has had to read on social media the misinformation that's out there. It's not fair. We feel like keeping our head down and doing what we do best, which is to put this pipeline in the ground, is the best thing we can do. We never stopped doing that."
"A lot of times people say to me, and I'd like to answer this question more directly, 'Why don't we just immediately answer back every time something is stated wrong about the company and what we're doing?'," said Ramsey.
Concerns about water contamination and a pipeline spill have played a central role in galvanizing support for those who have protested alongside the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Indeed, participants in the protests and encampment call themselves "water protectors." But the audio captures Ramsey dismissing those concerns out of hand, saying it is "not about water" at all.
"And you have to understand, and I didn't really understand this until I got deep into it. This is not really about water. This is not about [unintelligible]... this is about environmental activism. And it's nothing more than that."
But as King pointed out, a pipeline spill actually took place the morning Ramsey gave his speech, however. That spill of 176,000 gallons of oil into a creek ensued just 150 miles from the Standing Rock protest site.
Ramsey also alluded to the "Keep It In The Ground" campaign, saying that Dakota Access fit under the umbrella of those demanding to keep all fossil fuels in the ground. Keep It In The Ground, though, did not target the pipeline as part of its broader campaign and focuses on supply, not midstream assets like pipelines.
"These are people that are pushing to keep all fossil fuels in the ground, at every angle. And make no mistake. This is an event that they are using to raise lots and lots of money. If they can create a cause and they can create a lot of publicity, which they've clearly done here, it's an avenue for them to raise money. Not only to fight us on this project, but to fight all infrastructure projects like this in the United States," Ramsey claimed.
"So we'll continue to fight through this thing. But please, please, please be confident in this company. We are going to get this thing through in short order. We couldn't be more confident in that fact. And look for us to be pouring oil through this thing in spring of next year."
In a December 11 interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace, Trump said Dakota Access will "start one way or the other" once he takes office, but did not offer any detail beyond that.
Not everyone believes that "election night changed everything," however. Enter Jane Kleeb, Founder and President of the Bold Alliance.
"Election night did nothing to change Big Oil from trampling over property rights of farmers and Sovereign rights of Tribal Nations," Kleeb told DeSmog. "For us in the states, in the proposed pipeline routes, water is everything. Our livelihoods, our families, our communities all rely on clean water."
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Shaun King, a writer for the New York Daily News, has uploaded what appears to be a recorded audio file of Energy Transfer Partners' Chief Operating Officer saying that "election night changed everything" for the company as it relates to its embattled Dakota Access Pipeline.
King stated on social media and on the SoundCloud page on which he posted the file that a source sent him the file on December 13, hours after Matthew Ramsey -- COO of Energy Transfer Partners -- gave his speech. The source who gave King the audio, he explains on SoundCloud, "claimed to be in a corporate meeting at Energy Transfer Partners" and told him that the person speaking was Matthew Ramsey, the COO of Energy Transfer Partners. King also wrote that the recording was made during a mandatory company meeting.
"I've got to tell you, election night changed everything," Ramsey apparently said in the 10-minute clip, the authenticity of which DeSmog could not independently verify. "We now are going into a transition where we are going to have a new President of the United States who gets it. He understands what we're doing here and we fully expect that as soon as he gets inaugurated his team is going to move to get the final approvals done and we'll begin to put [Dakota Access] across Lake Oahe."
Dakota Access has yet to receive the easement permit it needs from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in order to cross Lake Oahe, which the company has publicly decried. Ramsey said in the clip, one in which the voice sounds similar to his voice heard in a November 21 company conference call, that it will take about 65 days to cross the lake once they get the permit.
Energy Transfer Partners recently saw one of the members of its Board of Directors, former Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry, nominated as U.S. Secretary of Energy by President-elect Donald Trump. Perry also sits on the Board of Directors of Dakota Access LLC co-owner, Sunoco Logistics.
Two days after the presidential election, Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren expressed a similar sense of jubilation about the prospects for Dakota Access when Trump assumes the White House.
"Having a government that actually backs up what they say that we're going to support infrastructure, we're going to support job creation, we're going to support growth in America, and then actually does it?," Warren told The Dallas Morning News. "My God, this is going to be refreshing."
Warren was a major donor to Perry's short-lived run for president during the Republican Party primary cycle and also served as a major donor to Trump's presidential campaign. Warren also sat on the advisory board for Perry's run for president.
Ramsey and Energy Transfer Partners spokeswoman Vicki Granado did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DeSmog.
In the tape, the voice that appears to belong to Ramsey spoke about the political battle ensuing over Dakota Access, which has lasted almost two years and recently stalled temporarily after the Army Corps of Engineers said it needed more time to do a more thorough environmental impact statement for the prospective Lake Oahe easement. The fight against the pipeline has engendered one of the largest cross-tribe mobilizations of Native American people in U.S. history.
"This has been quite a fight here on [Dakota Access]," remarked Ramsey. "So let me just tell you, make no mistake about it, this pipeline is going through. It's going through exactly where we have planned."
He also said Energy Transfer Partners "always, always plays by the rules" as it relates to following the letter of the law for its projects, saying that Dakota Access LLC "crossed every 't' [and] dotted every 'i'" relating to rules and regulations.
Police repression has also played a central role in the ongoing Dakota Access fight and so the audio confirms what many likely already thought. That is, law enforcement has worked closely alongside Dakota Access LLC to fend off those fighting against the project.
"We met with some of the officials in North Dakota [during a recent trip to the state]," said Ramsey. "We met with the National Sheriff's Association. People are tired of this. They're tired of seeing what's going on in the community and we think that the tide has turned and people are understanding what a great project this would be for the State of North Dakota. That came right out of the governor's mouth. He's very much in favor of this thing. So, I think we're off and running on [Dakota Access]."
"I know that everybody in this room has had to deal with the protesters. Everybody in this room has had to read on social media the misinformation that's out there. It's not fair. We feel like keeping our head down and doing what we do best, which is to put this pipeline in the ground, is the best thing we can do. We never stopped doing that."
"A lot of times people say to me, and I'd like to answer this question more directly, 'Why don't we just immediately answer back every time something is stated wrong about the company and what we're doing?'," said Ramsey.
Concerns about water contamination and a pipeline spill have played a central role in galvanizing support for those who have protested alongside the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Indeed, participants in the protests and encampment call themselves "water protectors." But the audio captures Ramsey dismissing those concerns out of hand, saying it is "not about water" at all.
"And you have to understand, and I didn't really understand this until I got deep into it. This is not really about water. This is not about [unintelligible]... this is about environmental activism. And it's nothing more than that."
But as King pointed out, a pipeline spill actually took place the morning Ramsey gave his speech, however. That spill of 176,000 gallons of oil into a creek ensued just 150 miles from the Standing Rock protest site.
Ramsey also alluded to the "Keep It In The Ground" campaign, saying that Dakota Access fit under the umbrella of those demanding to keep all fossil fuels in the ground. Keep It In The Ground, though, did not target the pipeline as part of its broader campaign and focuses on supply, not midstream assets like pipelines.
"These are people that are pushing to keep all fossil fuels in the ground, at every angle. And make no mistake. This is an event that they are using to raise lots and lots of money. If they can create a cause and they can create a lot of publicity, which they've clearly done here, it's an avenue for them to raise money. Not only to fight us on this project, but to fight all infrastructure projects like this in the United States," Ramsey claimed.
"So we'll continue to fight through this thing. But please, please, please be confident in this company. We are going to get this thing through in short order. We couldn't be more confident in that fact. And look for us to be pouring oil through this thing in spring of next year."
In a December 11 interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace, Trump said Dakota Access will "start one way or the other" once he takes office, but did not offer any detail beyond that.
Not everyone believes that "election night changed everything," however. Enter Jane Kleeb, Founder and President of the Bold Alliance.
"Election night did nothing to change Big Oil from trampling over property rights of farmers and Sovereign rights of Tribal Nations," Kleeb told DeSmog. "For us in the states, in the proposed pipeline routes, water is everything. Our livelihoods, our families, our communities all rely on clean water."
Shaun King, a writer for the New York Daily News, has uploaded what appears to be a recorded audio file of Energy Transfer Partners' Chief Operating Officer saying that "election night changed everything" for the company as it relates to its embattled Dakota Access Pipeline.
King stated on social media and on the SoundCloud page on which he posted the file that a source sent him the file on December 13, hours after Matthew Ramsey -- COO of Energy Transfer Partners -- gave his speech. The source who gave King the audio, he explains on SoundCloud, "claimed to be in a corporate meeting at Energy Transfer Partners" and told him that the person speaking was Matthew Ramsey, the COO of Energy Transfer Partners. King also wrote that the recording was made during a mandatory company meeting.
"I've got to tell you, election night changed everything," Ramsey apparently said in the 10-minute clip, the authenticity of which DeSmog could not independently verify. "We now are going into a transition where we are going to have a new President of the United States who gets it. He understands what we're doing here and we fully expect that as soon as he gets inaugurated his team is going to move to get the final approvals done and we'll begin to put [Dakota Access] across Lake Oahe."
Dakota Access has yet to receive the easement permit it needs from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in order to cross Lake Oahe, which the company has publicly decried. Ramsey said in the clip, one in which the voice sounds similar to his voice heard in a November 21 company conference call, that it will take about 65 days to cross the lake once they get the permit.
Energy Transfer Partners recently saw one of the members of its Board of Directors, former Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry, nominated as U.S. Secretary of Energy by President-elect Donald Trump. Perry also sits on the Board of Directors of Dakota Access LLC co-owner, Sunoco Logistics.
Two days after the presidential election, Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren expressed a similar sense of jubilation about the prospects for Dakota Access when Trump assumes the White House.
"Having a government that actually backs up what they say that we're going to support infrastructure, we're going to support job creation, we're going to support growth in America, and then actually does it?," Warren told The Dallas Morning News. "My God, this is going to be refreshing."
Warren was a major donor to Perry's short-lived run for president during the Republican Party primary cycle and also served as a major donor to Trump's presidential campaign. Warren also sat on the advisory board for Perry's run for president.
Ramsey and Energy Transfer Partners spokeswoman Vicki Granado did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DeSmog.
In the tape, the voice that appears to belong to Ramsey spoke about the political battle ensuing over Dakota Access, which has lasted almost two years and recently stalled temporarily after the Army Corps of Engineers said it needed more time to do a more thorough environmental impact statement for the prospective Lake Oahe easement. The fight against the pipeline has engendered one of the largest cross-tribe mobilizations of Native American people in U.S. history.
"This has been quite a fight here on [Dakota Access]," remarked Ramsey. "So let me just tell you, make no mistake about it, this pipeline is going through. It's going through exactly where we have planned."
He also said Energy Transfer Partners "always, always plays by the rules" as it relates to following the letter of the law for its projects, saying that Dakota Access LLC "crossed every 't' [and] dotted every 'i'" relating to rules and regulations.
Police repression has also played a central role in the ongoing Dakota Access fight and so the audio confirms what many likely already thought. That is, law enforcement has worked closely alongside Dakota Access LLC to fend off those fighting against the project.
"We met with some of the officials in North Dakota [during a recent trip to the state]," said Ramsey. "We met with the National Sheriff's Association. People are tired of this. They're tired of seeing what's going on in the community and we think that the tide has turned and people are understanding what a great project this would be for the State of North Dakota. That came right out of the governor's mouth. He's very much in favor of this thing. So, I think we're off and running on [Dakota Access]."
"I know that everybody in this room has had to deal with the protesters. Everybody in this room has had to read on social media the misinformation that's out there. It's not fair. We feel like keeping our head down and doing what we do best, which is to put this pipeline in the ground, is the best thing we can do. We never stopped doing that."
"A lot of times people say to me, and I'd like to answer this question more directly, 'Why don't we just immediately answer back every time something is stated wrong about the company and what we're doing?'," said Ramsey.
Concerns about water contamination and a pipeline spill have played a central role in galvanizing support for those who have protested alongside the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Indeed, participants in the protests and encampment call themselves "water protectors." But the audio captures Ramsey dismissing those concerns out of hand, saying it is "not about water" at all.
"And you have to understand, and I didn't really understand this until I got deep into it. This is not really about water. This is not about [unintelligible]... this is about environmental activism. And it's nothing more than that."
But as King pointed out, a pipeline spill actually took place the morning Ramsey gave his speech, however. That spill of 176,000 gallons of oil into a creek ensued just 150 miles from the Standing Rock protest site.
Ramsey also alluded to the "Keep It In The Ground" campaign, saying that Dakota Access fit under the umbrella of those demanding to keep all fossil fuels in the ground. Keep It In The Ground, though, did not target the pipeline as part of its broader campaign and focuses on supply, not midstream assets like pipelines.
"These are people that are pushing to keep all fossil fuels in the ground, at every angle. And make no mistake. This is an event that they are using to raise lots and lots of money. If they can create a cause and they can create a lot of publicity, which they've clearly done here, it's an avenue for them to raise money. Not only to fight us on this project, but to fight all infrastructure projects like this in the United States," Ramsey claimed.
"So we'll continue to fight through this thing. But please, please, please be confident in this company. We are going to get this thing through in short order. We couldn't be more confident in that fact. And look for us to be pouring oil through this thing in spring of next year."
In a December 11 interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace, Trump said Dakota Access will "start one way or the other" once he takes office, but did not offer any detail beyond that.
Not everyone believes that "election night changed everything," however. Enter Jane Kleeb, Founder and President of the Bold Alliance.
"Election night did nothing to change Big Oil from trampling over property rights of farmers and Sovereign rights of Tribal Nations," Kleeb told DeSmog. "For us in the states, in the proposed pipeline routes, water is everything. Our livelihoods, our families, our communities all rely on clean water."
"The inmates are not only running the asylum. They're bringing in more inmates to help," said one observer.
EJ Antoni, President Donald Trump's controversial nominee to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was among the insurrectionist mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, NBC News revealed Wednesday.
Video footage archived from the right-wing social media site Parler and posted online by a Republican-led congressional subcommittee shows Antoni among the crowd about half an hour before the MAGA mob began breaching barricades, attacking police, and swarming the Capitol. He is also seen walking away from the crowd.
The White House attempted to downplay the news, with spokesperson Taylor Rogers saying that "these pictures show E.J. Antoni, a bystander to the events of January 6th, observing and then leaving the Capitol area."
"E.J. was in town for meetings, and it is wrong and defamatory to suggest E.J. engaged in anything inappropriate or illegal," Rogers added.
See the man circled here? That's E.J. Antoni, Trump's Bureau of Labor Statistics nominee, walking through a crowd of Capitol rioters.#ICYMI, we've got an archive of 500+ Parler videos taken during Jan. 6. You can spot Antoni starting at around 1:41 here: projects.propublica.org/parler-capit...
[image or embed]
— ProPublica (@propublica.org) August 14, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Other MAGA figures also defended Antoni. Felonious fraudster Steve Bannon, who pleaded guilty in a border wall fundraising fraud case this year, said Thursday on his War Room podcast: "They came up with a photo of E.J. Antoni in the crowd outside the Capitol on January 6, and NBC went absolutely nuts over it. I think it makes E.J. even more based. I didn't know that about E.J.—makes us want him even more."
Critics, however, expressed alarm, given the important post to which Antoni was nominated.
"We just discovered a Trump [Department of Justice] official was at January 6, telling other traitors to 'kill' police," journalist and attorney Adam Cohen wrote on the social media site Bluesky, referring to Jared Wise, who was pardoned by Trump.
"Now we learn Trump's BLS nominee, E.J. Antoni—apart from being totally unqualified—was ALSO part of the insurrection," Cohen added. "The inmates are not only running the asylum. They're bringing in MORE inmates to help."
The West Virginia Federation of Democratic Women noted on the social media site X that "Trump fired the vetted woman who reported honest stats on job losses. His new guy was in the mob on January 6 and wrote Project 2025."
Journalist Ahmed Baba wrote on X: "So, E.J. Antoni is the chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, a contributor to Project 2025, and was literally outside the Capitol on January 6. This is who Trump wants to be in charge of the BLS data that shapes global decisions and moves markets—an extremist sycophant."
Trump nominated Antoni after firing former BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, whom the president accused without evidence of manipulating employment statistics to discredit him and other Republicans.
"These reductions may cause some providers to stop accepting Medicaid patients," said a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
The cuts to Medicaid contained in the recently passed Republican budget law are already having a damaging impact in multiple states, as both local hospitals and state governments struggle financially to make up funding gaps.
As NC Newsline reported on Wednesday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has announced plans to cut Medicaid spending by $319 million starting on October 1, which the publication said "means the state will reduce rates by 3% to all medical providers, as well as cuts of 8-10% for inpatient and residential services and 10% for behavioral therapy and analysis for patients with autism."
NCDHHS spokesperson Summer Tonizzo did not sugarcoat the impact that the cuts would have on services for Medicaid patients in her state. She said that services including hospice care, behavioral health long-term care, and nursing home services could see reimbursement cuts significantly steeper than 3%.
"These reductions may cause some providers to stop accepting Medicaid patients, as the lowered rates could make it financially unsustainable to continue offering care," she said.
The Tar Heel State isn't the only one reeling from Medicaid cuts, as Colorado Public Radio reported that the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, which manages the state's Medicaid program, held a webinar this week in which it outlined plans to, in the words of department director Kim Bimestefer, "mitigate the loss of coverage and its catastrophic consequences to Coloradans, providers, and the economy."
This will be easier said than done, however, as Colorado Public Radio noted that numbers reviewed by the department estimate that "hundreds of thousands" of residents in the state could lose healthcare access thanks to cuts from the GOP budget package.
In addition to people who will lose coverage thanks to the work requirements passed in the legislation, an estimated 112,000 people who buy health insurance policies from state exchanges could lose it after the expected expiration of enhanced tax credits passed by Democrats during former President Joe Biden's term.
Taking a look at the broader nationwide picture, Stateline reported that even some Republicans attending the National Conference of State Legislatures summit in Boston this week expressed anxiety about the impact the cuts will have on the people whom they represent.
The publication quoted Oklahoma state Sen. John Haste, who said during the summit that he was particularly concerned about the impact the cuts would have on rural communities. Among other things, he pointed to a provision in the law that will deliver a $209 million cut in Medicaid funds to Oklahoma, as well as the fact that complying with work requirement verifications will cost an estimated $30 million.
"All of those things added together come up to a really big number," said Haste. "We don't know exactly what that is."
Hawaii Democratic state Sen. Ronald Kouchi said during the summit that the impact of the Medicaid cuts would be absolutely brutal, but added that the only thing Democrats can do for now is make sure their voters know whom to blame for what's happening.
"Who's going to be blamed when people are left out, when people are hungry and they lose out on educational opportunities?" he asked during a panel discussion. "If we as state legislators do not convey that it is a result of the decisionmakers in Washington, D.C., they will be at our doorstep as the place of last resort."
"Emergency powers are the lifeblood of authoritarians," said a former Republican congressman.
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday he may declare a national emergency to circumvent Congress and continue his military occupation of Washington, D.C. indefinitely.
Under the Home Rule Act, the president is allowed to unilaterally take control of law enforcement in the nation's capital for 30 days. After that, Congress must extend its authorization through a joint resolution.
The authorization would need 60 votes to break the Senate filibuster, meaning some Democrats would need to sign on. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said there's "no fucking way" they would, adding that some Republicans would likely vote against it as well.
During a speech at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday, Trump said that if Congress won't approve his indefinite deployment of the National Guard, he'll just invoke emergency powers.
"If it's a national emergency, we can do it without Congress, but we expect to be before Congress very quickly," Trump said.
"I don't want to call a national emergency," Trump said, before adding, "If I have to, I will."
Announcing his federal takeover of the D.C. police, Trump said he would authorize the cops to "do whatever the hell they want" when patrolling the city.
On Wednesday, a day after troops deployed to D.C., federal agents set up a security checkpoint on the busy 14th Street Northwest Corridor, where Newsweek reports that they have been conducting random stops, which have previously been ruled unconstitutional.
One eyewitness described seeing agents "in unmarked cars without badges pulling people out of their cars and taking them away."
Other similar scenes of what appear to be random and arbitrary stops and arrests have been documented around the city.
"President Trump fabricated the 'emergency' that's required to exist for a president to federalize D.C. Police," said Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia's nonvoting congressional delegate on X. "He admitted to reporters today that he's willing to fabricate a national emergency in order to try to extend his power."
It would not be the first time Trump called a national emergency in an attempt to suspend the usual checks on his power.
In 2019—despite border crossings being at historic lows—he declared a national emergency to reroute billions of dollars to construct his border wall after Congress refused to approve it. He has also declared a national emergency at the U.S. border.
He has used national emergency declarations even more liberally in his second term, including to send U.S. troops to the Southern border, to expedite oil drilling projects, and to enact extreme tariffs without congressional approval.
According to Joseph Nunn, a legal scholar at the Brennan Center for Justice, Trump is already abusing the language of the Home Rule Act, which only allows D.C. law enforcement to be federalized in "special conditions of an emergency nature."
Though the law does not explicitly define what constitutes a "national emergency," Nunn says, "the word 'emergency' has meaning. An emergency is a sudden crisis, an unexpected change in circumstances." That would be at odds with the facts on the ground in D.C., where crime has fallen dramatically over the past year.
After Trump floated using a national emergency to extend his occupation of D.C., Justin Amash—a former Republican congressman who was ousted in 2021 after breaking with Trump—wrote on X that "emergency powers are the lifeblood of authoritarians."
"Once established in law, they're nearly impossible to revoke because a president can veto any bill curtailing the power," Amash said. "We always live under dozens of active 'national emergencies,' almost none of which are true emergencies."
Trump also said he was working with congressional Republicans on a "crime bill" that will "pertain initially to D.C." but will be expanded to apply to other blue cities like Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. Despite Trump's portrayal of these cities as crime-ridden hellscapes, crime is falling in every single one of them.
"What Donald Trump is doing is, in some ways, a dress rehearsal for going after others around the country. And I think we need to stop this—certainly by the end of the 30 days," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). "This should never have started, so I definitely want to make sure it doesn't continue."