President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of the nation’s capital appears to have hit tourism. Museums and restaurants are reporting a noticeable downturn in the number of visitors as police officers man checkpoints, federal agents carry out deportations, and tanks roll down the street. “We have been dealing with concerns from the leisure market about the atmosphere in DC. That has been the biggest issue,” said Elliot Ferguson, CEO of Destination DC, a nonprofit set up to promote tourism in coordination with the mayor’s office. “We had 9/11, the anthrax attacks, the D.C. sniper, government shutdowns, January 6, and now this,” he added. Trump launched his crackdown in August, alleging “rampant crime” and the need for “liberation” as grounds for bringing the nation’s capital under federal control—despite violent crime already being down by roughly 26 percent from the previous year. The 30-day emergency order expired without Congressional extension on Wednesday, though federal agents and National Guard units remain deployed across the city.
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