President Trump says he will hit the streets of Washington, D.C., on Thursday night to join patrols as part of his administration’s extraordinary federal takeover of law enforcement in the capital.
“I’m going to be going out tonight with the police and with the military, of course,” Trump said Thursday in an interview with radio host Todd Starnes.
The outing, one that would likely involve in-depth security planning under normal circumstances, was not announced as part of the president’s public schedule. White House officials told Politico details about the appearance are “forthcoming.”
Earlier this month, the president put the Washington police force under federal control and began surging hundreds of federal agents and National Guard troops to the city for a crackdown on what he said was rampant crime, even though statistics show a sharp recent decline in most major categories of crime.
The federal operation has low public support within the capital. An estimated 8 in 10 D.C. residents oppose the takeover, according to a Washington Post survey released on Wednesday.
Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary were met with boos and chants of “free D.C.” on Wednesday when they visited National Guard troops deployed to Union Station.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.
