President Donald Trump is moving systematically to tighten his grip on Democratic-leaning big cities — the geographic center of resistance to his agenda — by undermining their autonomy and eroding their political strength.

Those militant goals are the common thread that links the high-profile initiatives Trump has launched in recent days to seize control of law enforcement in Washington, DC; pressure red states to draw new congressional district lines ; and potentially pursue an unprecedented “redo” of the 2020 census.

These new efforts compound the pressure Trump is already placing on major cities with an agenda that includes aggressive immigration enforcement ; cuts in federal research funding to universities central to the economy of many large metros; and threats to rescind

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