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       President Trump at the White House yesterday. Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times

       Trump ordered a takeover of Washington’s police

       President Trump said yesterday that he was temporarily taking control of the police force in Washington and deploying 800 National Guard troops to fight crime in the U.S. capital.

       During a news conference, the president painted a dystopian picture of Washington, a city that he said had been taken over by “bloodthirsty criminals” and “roving mobs of wild youth.” His remarks contrasted with official figures showing that violent crime in the city had hit a 30-year low. Trump added that he was prepared to send the military into Washington “if needed.”

       Trump has been threatening to take federal control of Washington for weeks, but he has railed against crime in largely liberal cities for decades. The Washington deployment is the latest example of Trump using the military to achieve his domestic goals; earlier this year, he sent 4,700 National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles and deployed some 10,000 troops to the U.S. border with Mexico.

       Washington’s attorney general criticized Trump’s actions as “unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful.” Protesters gathered near the White House as Trump laid out his plans. A White House official said that the federal takeover of the police department was expected to last 30 days.

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       Related: Trump’s order to use military force against Latin American drug cartels resurrected fears of U.S. interference in the region.

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