President Donald Trump’s assertion of control over public safety in Washington, D.C., is alarming both in itself and as a potential forerunner to similar actions targeting other U.S. cities, including Pittsburgh. His moves stretch the meaning of “emergency” beyond reason, and are very unlikely to actually improve the conditions of low-level disorder — or certainly the largely imaginary problem of violent criminality — which they are ostensibly designed to combat.

Mr. Trump is asserting his right under federal law to take control of Washington’s city police force, while supplementing nighttime patrols with over 100 FBI agents and deploying 800 National Guard soldiers to the District.

This is yet another example of a presidential action before which several people, including especially cab

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