WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is increasingly trying to exert his power over state issues — arguing recently that he has the authority to govern how states operate elections , how they oversee public safety and how they draw their congressional maps, despite the U.S. Constitution granting those powers to states.

Over the past month, Trump has threatened to deploy state National Guard troops to patrol Chicago, New York City and other Democratic-led cities after launching a federal takeover of the District of Columbia police force. He has also vowed to sign an executive order banning mail-in voting, and he signed an executive order last Monday looking to penalize states, including New York, that have so-called cashless bail laws on their books.

The president and his top aides al

See Full Page