Leading authorities in Washington, D.C, on Thursday rebuffed attempts by the Trump administration to further federalize the district's law enforcement by appointing an “emergency police commissioner.”

Amid President Donald Trump’s push to reduce crime in the district by sidelining its prized home rule status, Attorney General Pam Bondi stripped power from the city's Metropolitan Police Department, tapping Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole to assume all responsibilities carried by Metro Police Chief Pamela Smith.

The move prompted swift backlash from Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, who argued there is no legal basis for Bondi’s order. Their rhetoric marks an escalation in tensions between the White House and dis

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