National Guard troops have begun arriving on the streets of Washington DC in a controversial move by Donald Trump to "rescue our nation's capital from crime".

The deployment of some of the planned 800 troops comes despite the Washington mayor revealing crime in the capital was at its "lowest level in 30 years" - and with official data also showing a steep decline.

President Trump has promised to take over the district's police department , something the law allows him to do temporarily.

The army has indicated there were no specific locations for the deployment, according to the Associated Press, citing a White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

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Trump: National Guard deployment will 'take cap

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