President Donald Trump took unprecedented steps toward federalizing Washington, D.C. on Monday, saying it’s needed to fight crime even as city leaders pointed to data showing violence is down.He took command of the police department and deployed the National Guard under laws and Constitutional powers that give the federal government more sway over the nation’s capital than other cities.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump deployed 800 National Guard troops to the streets of Washington, DC, a rare flex of his presidential authority over the military while a court mulls the legality of his prior order sending troops to Los Angeles.

Hundreds of National Guard troops are expected to begin deployment on the streets of Washington, D.C., on orders from President Donald Trump. The rollout is part of the president’s unprecedented push to combat crime but with DC statistics showing violent crime has fallen in the last two years,