President Trump's decision to assert federal control over Washington, D.C.'s police force and deploy National Guard troops to patrol the capital marked a stunning departure from governing norms, according to experts.

Since Trump's order last week, hundreds of National Guard troops have set up on the streets of the nation's capital and hundreds more are expected to arrive in the coming days.

The National Guard is a military branch distinct from others, in that its soldiers answer to state and federal governments, but the president has the power to activate a state's National Guard without cooperation from the governor.

Since D.C. does not have statehood, its National Guard answers directly to the president .

National Guard troops are a familiar presence during times of crisis — they

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