Trump takes control of police in Washington DC, to deploy National Guard

He also said National Guard troops would be deployed to Washington, D.C., to “re-establish law, order, and public safety,” stressing they would be allowed to carry out their duties without restriction.

"I'm deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, D.C.," Trump told reporters at the White House, flanked by administration officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi. "Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals."

Pam Bondi will be overseeing the federal takeover of the city’s police forces.

The National Guard unit is expected to assist with logistics, transportation, and other tasks, with an eye toward freeing up more local police to make arrests. That’s similar to Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles earlier this year to assist federal immigration officials carrying out raids. The move was made over the wishes of California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, and prompted days of protests.