Trump said at a press conference that he would take control of the Metropolitan Police Department and deploy the D.C. National Guard in an effort to supposedly “rescue our nation’s capital from crime" by "removing homeless encampments from all over our parks."

For Trump, the effort to take over public safety in Washington reflects a next step in his law enforcement agenda after his aggressive push to stop illegal border crossings.

President Trump announced Monday he was taking federal control of the Washington, D.C., police department and deploying the National Guard in the nation’s capital in an effort to crack down on crime.