What Power Does Trump Have to Control Washington, DC?: QuickTake

President Donald Trump is threatening to have the federal government take over Washington, DC. On Aug. 11, he announced that he would take control of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department and deploy the National Guard to crack down on crime and homelessness.

Trump has said he wants to go further and “federalize” the city. However, his powers to take such an action are limited. He’d need an act of Congress to have complete control.

What is the District of Columbia?

The US Constitution directed that the seat of the nation’s government be a “District (not exceeding ten miles square)” over ...