President Donald Trump defended his aggressive law-and-order agenda during an 80-minute Oval Office press conference on 25 August, asserting that “a lot of people are saying maybe we’d like a dictator” but insisting, “I’m not a dictator. I’m a man with great common sense and a smart person.” The remarks came as he intensified federal control over policing in Washington, where more than 2,200 National Guard members are already assisting local authorities. Trump signed a series of executive orders that day creating a specialised National Guard unit for future domestic law-enforcement missions, directing the Justice Department to prioritise flag-burning prosecutions with penalties of up to one year in prison, and ordering a review of federal funds for cities that use cash-free bail. He portrayed the measures as necessary to curb violent crime and homelessness, issues he says local leaders have failed to address. The president also threatened to replicate the Washington deployment in Chicago, calling the city “a killing field” that “desperately needs help.” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, whom Trump derided as a “slob,” countered that the White House is attempting to “occupy a U.S. city” and accused Trump of abusing presidential power for political gain. Civil-liberties groups echoed those concerns, warning that the expanded use of federal troops blurs constitutional limits on domestic security operations.