President Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed critics who have labeled his actions as “dictatorial” following his decision to deploy National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. , to combat rising crime.

Speaking at an event at The Kennedy Center , Trump firmly rejected accusations that his intervention was authoritarian, instead framing the move as a necessary step to restore safety in the nation’s capital.

"Already they're saying, 'He's a dictator!' The place is going to hell, and we got to stop it," Trump said. "So instead of saying 'He's a dictator,' they should say 'We're going to join him in making Washington safe,'" he added .

President Trump slams Democrats for criticizing his efforts to make DC safe again:

"They say 'he's a dictator!' and then they end up getting mugged."

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