WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would ask congressional Republicans to extend federal control of Washington’s city police force beyond 30 days, escalating his campaign to exert presidential power over the nation’s capital.
Trump also asserted that any congressional action could serve as a model for other U.S. cities. He has previously threatened to expand his efforts to other Democratic-run cities such as Chicago that he claims have failed to address crime.
It was not clear how Trump’s takeover of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department could be replicated elsewhere. In seizing control on Monday, Trump took advantage of a federal law, the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, that permits the president to do so under emergency circumstances for up to 30 days.