Trump Signals He May Extend D.C. Police Takeover to New York and Chicago

President Donald Trump said Monday he is considering placing New York City and Chicago under federal control, mirroring the policing measures he imposed on Washington, D.C., earlier this month. At a White House appearance on 11 Aug., Trump called Chicago “a disaster” and said he would “look at New York” before deciding whether to replicate the D.C. approach, which involved deploying National Guard troops and assuming authority over the capital’s police force. He blamed what he described as incompetent local leadership for persistent crime problems and suggested additional cities could be targeted. The remarks come ten days after the administration’s unprecedented move to federalize policing in Washington, a step that has drawn criticism from civil-liberties groups and local officials who say crime in the district has been declining. Expanding the policy to the nation’s largest cities would likely ignite fresh legal and political battles over the scope of presidential power and the autonomy of municipal governments.