As more states pledge to send National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., the White House on Tuesday declined to offer a timeline for when federal intervention into policing in the District would end.
President Donald Trump’s federalization of D.C.’s police department and deployment of National Guard troops into District streets began last week in an effort Trump said was necessary to stop crime. The White House has framed its takeover as an unmitigated success — and one without a clear end date.
The White House initially expected the federal takeover to last 30 days, which is the amount of time the president is allotted control without congressional approval, per federal law. Last week, however, Trump said he may extend the takeover well past that limit.