President Donald Trump says he will ask Congress for a “long-term extension” of the federalization of D.C.’s police, a day after National Guard troops began deploying in the city.

“If it’s a national emergency we can do it without Congress, but we expect to be to before Congress very quickly,” Trump said Wednesday during a speech at the Kennedy Center.

“We think the Democrats will not do anything to stop crime, but we think the Republicans will do it almost unanimously, so we’re going to need a crime bill that we’re going to be putting in and it’s going to pertain initially to D.C.,” he added.

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