President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will ask the Republican-led Congress to extend federal control of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department beyond the 30-day period allowed under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. He told reporters a forthcoming crime bill “initially” targeting the capital would seek a long-term extension and could serve as a template for other U.S. cities. Under the Home Rule Act, a president may federalize the city’s police only in emergency circumstances and only for 30 days unless both chambers of Congress pass a joint resolution. Trump warned that if lawmakers do not act he could declare a national emergency to keep the takeover in place, a move legal scholars say the statute does not authorize. The administration placed the force under federal command on Aug. 11 and deployed about 800 National Guard troops. A White House official said the operation has led to 103 arrests and 24 seized firearms since Aug. 7. City data, however, show violent crime has fallen sharply from a 2023 spike, a point Mayor Muriel Bowser cites in opposing the intervention; Trump dismisses the figures as “total fraud.” While House Speaker Mike Johnson voiced support, any extension could stall in the Senate, where Democrats can use procedural hurdles to block legislation. Trump has suggested success in Washington might justify similar federal actions in cities such as Chicago, intensifying debate over the scope of presidential authority in domestic law-enforcement.