From the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal, this is Potomac Watch.

President Trump declares a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., letting him take control of the

city's police department for at least 30 days, while also activating about 800 troops from the DC National Guard to assist

that mission, despite objections from city leaders, including Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Welcome, I'm Kyle Peterson with the Wall Street Journal.

We're joined today by my colleagues on the editorial page, Faith Bottom, and Colin Levy. Washington, D.C. is a federal

city as the nation's capital, but under the 1973 Home Rule Act, it largely governs its own affairs.

That law gives the President of the United States, however, the power to take control of the city's

police for up to 30 days or longer, if Congress assents, and the president of the United States, however, the power to take control of the city's police

for up to 30 days or longer, if Congress assents, in the event of an emergency.

President Trump declared such an emergency on Monday, promising that he will, quote,

rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor, and worse.

Unquote. He has named Terry Cole, currently the head of

the Drug Enforcement Agency to oversee the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. Faith, you have an op-ed

on this in the journal's pages today under the headline, Can Trump Tame the Washington, D.C. streets.

What do you make of this move by the president?

It seems like part of what motivated him was high-profile stories of people,

including a former Doge staffer, getting attacked.

And I'm an occasional visitor to D.C.

It sure seems like Washington could be safer.

Yeah.

The federalizing of D.C. police is short term.

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