Trump's USA Crime Policy

Threatens the mayor: "Gotta get tough - or we'll take over"

For the second time today, US President Donald Trump is threatening to expand federal control in Washington DC. At a press conference at the White House, he threatened the capital's mayor Muriel Bowser.

- Bowser has to get tough, otherwise she won't be mayor for very long. Because we're taking over with the federal government, he says.

Earlier on Friday, the president claimed on Truth Social that Bowser has inaccurate and misleading crime statistics. He also wrote that "bad things will happen" if she doesn't stop with the "mistakes".

Trump believes that the city has suffered an uncontrolled wave of crime, which is contradicted by the crime statistics.

Trump: Chicago and New York could be next in line

Donald Trump suggests that he may take similar measures in Chicago and New York as in Washington DC, where the National Guard was sent after the president's claims of rampant crime.

The White House has also taken federal control of the capital's police department.

- Chicago is probably the next city that we make safe, and then we will help New York, he says according to AFP.

Trump again criticizes Mayor Muriel Bowser and urges her to "tighten up" if she is to remain in the role.

The National Guard in DC - the issue

• Donald Trump called in 800 soldiers from the National Guard and placed Washington DC's police force under federal control on August 11.
• The National Guard arrived in Washington DC on August 13, according to the Washington Post. Donald Trump plans to patrol the city's streets together with the police and the National Guard.
• Mayor Muriel Bowser criticized the decision as an infringement on the city's autonomy and later called it authoritarian.
• Mayor Muriel Bowser criticized the decision as an infringement on the city's autonomy and later called it authoritarian.
• 23 people were arrested in connection with the operation and an opinion poll shows that 47 percent of those surveyed are critical of Trump's actions, according to the Washington Post.