Trump defend decision to send 800 National Guard troops to Washington DC to take over police department
Di US president say im dey crackdown on crime and di situation of homelessness for di city.
Trump bin declare "public safety emergency" on Monday wen im deploy di 800 troops to support hundreds of federal law enforcement officers wey dem bin send dia over di weekend.
"E don become situation of complete lawlessness," im tell reporters for di White House.
Di Mayor of di city Muriel Bowser bin reject di claim by di president about crime – even though di rate bin rise for 2023, statistics don show say di rates don dey fall since den.
Violent crime for di city also don reduce to 30-year low.
"I don announce dis historic action to rescue di capital of our kontri from crime, bloodshed, filth and even worse," Trump tok during di news conference wia di US Attorney general Pam Bondi bin dey stand by im side.
She go lead di City police force while e dey under federal control.
"Dis na liberation day for DC, and we go take our capital back," im tok.
Trump tok say "violent gangs and blood-thirsty criminals, drug pipo and homeless pipo bin take ova Washington DC."
Data from di Metropolitan Police Department of di city show say homicides drop by 32% between 2023 and 2024, and now e don reach dia lowest level since 2019.
Data don show say di crime rates don drop by 12%.
Mayor Bowser wey be Democrat don tok say crime don shoot up for 2023, wey bin dey like di national trend, but im rule out any tori wey claim say di city dey for crimewave.
"We no dey see di rise for crime," she don tok MSNBC on Sunday. "Di president dey very aware of our efforts."
Dem bin ask di deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller about wetin im tink about di white house comment say Washington dey more violent than Baghdad, Bowser say "to dey compare place wia war don dey, na false."
Out of di 800 National guard troops wey dem go activate, between 100-200 go dey support law enforcement at any time, di army tok for statement.
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth say di national guardsmen go reach di city by end of di week.
Trump don also tok say im go put di police department for di city under di direct control federal control, using di District of Columbia Home Rule Act.
Former president Richard Nixxon bin create dis law to allow residents of Washington wey be di only US city wey neva part of di 50 states – to elect city council and dia mayor.
But dat plan also bin get caveat wey don dey allow di president to take control of di police for di city if "special emergency conditions don happun."
If di president bin wan take control for more than 48 hours, dem gat to provide written notice to congress.
Na so if dem provide dat notice, dem neva fit keep control of di police for more than 30 days.
Dem bin ask di city mayor on Sunday about di possibility say di president go take control of di city, mayor Bowser explain say "di tin dey inside di law wey go allow dat, but dis tins and conditions neva dey for dis city right now."
She tok say she dey concerned about di National Guard wey dey enforce local laws.
Later for Monday, Bower address one press conference wia she don tok say di president order "dey unsettling and unprecedented."
She add say Trump bin dey see di city somehow "wit im experience during di covid pandemic for im first term", dat approach dey affect how im dey see di city.
Di mayor tok say "we don quickly put dis law wey don clear violent offenders from our streets. We don see di crime numbers reduce sake of dis efforts."
Apart from crime, Trump also bin speak during di press conference, about homelessness for Washington DC.
"We don dey scatter di slums," im tok without details.
Im say dem go carry homeless pipo comot di place to anoda place; but im neva tok wia.
Trump bin add say "every tin gat to be perfect" when ogbonge foreign leaders and pipo visit di city.
Local groups wey dey work wit di homeless pipo for di capital tok di BBC say dem don see progress.
Di president and chief executive of So Others Might Eat (SOME) – one group wey don dey give food to people for di city wit housing, clothing and other social services, tok say homelessness don drop by almost 20% for pipo for Washington DC for 2025 compared to five years ago.
Ralph Boyd also bin tok say Trump im proposal to move pipo out of di city neva be long-term solution.
Meanwhile outside di White House, protesters wey dey concerned about Trump im actions, bin gather and chant "hands off DC" "protect home rule."
"Trump no dey care about di safety of DC, im dey care about control."
Di president im actions bin follow series of posts for social media for di last days wia im don criticize how dem dey run Washington DC.
Trump also don complain about one former staff of di Department of govment efficiency (Doge) wey dem don attack for di city last week.
During di Monday press conference, Trump tok say "roaming thugs" don beat di employee; wia dem leave am for pool of blood.
Im also tok about oda govment staff and elected officials wey don suffer attacks, including one democratic lawmaker and intern.
"Dis na threat to America," Trump tok.
Di first time Trump bin send di National Guard na for June wia im order 2,000 of di guards
To Los Angeles to deal wit kasala ova undocumented migrants and odas.
Di last time dem deploy di National Guard to Washington na in response to di Capitol riot for 2021.
Wit additional reporting from Madeline Halpert
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