The deployment of National Guard units and federal agents to Memphis for a Donald Trump –defined crime-fighting mission has gotten far less alarmed attention nationally than the earlier presidential takeover of law enforcement in Washington, D.C. But even though the president himself is calling the Memphis action a “replica” of the D.C. “crackdown,” it’s actually different in important ways and is also different from future Guard deployments Trump is threatening to undertake in places such as Chicago.

First of all, D.C. isn’t in a state, and the president has quasi-gubernatorial powers over city government. He had the power to call up the National Guard there just like a governor would in the states. He also has special emergency authority to control local law enforcement in e

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