Nigeria's Pipeline Crisis Will Worsen Under the President's Power Grab
Now, as president, Tinubu's words have come back to bite him. Hours after the March 18 explosion on the Trans-Niger Pipeline — imperiling the 245,000 barrels of crude oil and condensates it transports daily — in Rivers State, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the richly endowed ' oil capital ' of the country. He suspended the governor, his deputy and all lawmakers for six months and installed a retired vice admiral as caretaker of the region. Echoing Tinubu's words from 12 years ago, the Nigerian Bar Association condemned the declaration as ' an assault on democracy ' and said it violates Section 305 of the constitution, which outlines strict conditions for emergency rule. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said ' it reeks of political manipulation and outright bad faith.'
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Chicago Tribune
19 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: No Trump takeover needed in Chicago
Section 740 (a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 allows the president of the United States to take over the Washington, D.C., police department for up to 30 days assuming he or she notifies certain heads of congressional committees. The intent of that section, at least as we read it, was to provide needed support from that department to the federal government in the event of a major national emergency of some kind, and it surely is debatable whether everyday law and order in the district falls under that criterion. Nonetheless, President Donald Trump did indeed act under that law and declared the requisite national emergency, claiming that the crime rate negatively affected 'the Federal Government's ability to operate efficiently to address the Nation's broader interests without fear of our workers being subjected to rampant violence.' He delegated his authority over the D.C. police force to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, a busy woman. And so, yes, Mayor Muriel Bowser was right to say she would cooperate. In so doing, unsurprisingly, Trump then riffed on Chicago. That's never something we enjoy. He trashed and insulted our duly elected officials, depicted our town and state as a dystopian hellhole and suggested that he is looking for ways to stick the federal nose into our law-and-order situation, too. So. First things first. Trump's insults, which Gov. JB Pritzker likes then to match in kind, inadvisably in our view, insult the citizens of America's third largest city and affect its appeal to new businesses, new residents, international visitors and thus its overall economic development. Trump should cease and desist trashing America's great cities. The mouth of the man is a talking emergency for Chicago. We've got our own problems to address without having to defend ourselves simultaneously from our own president. And so we remind the president, apparently a wannabe mayor, that there is no Section 740 (a) that could be applied to Chicago, Illinois, and therefore he does not have the authority to bring in federal forces of any kind to take over law and order on our streets and he should make no such attempt. This editorial board has great confidence in the Chicago Police Department and its capable chief, Larry Snelling, and such presidential pronouncements only make their difficult job harder. Trump must know that the police force has been subject to numerous attacks over the last few years and that detailed, effective and trusted policing has a significant impact on any city's crime rate. He should be boosting the men and women in uniform who work the streets of this city and heralding their achievements, not threatening them with some kind of unctuous hostile takeover. We think that even right-of-center Chicagoans who find the crime rate here unacceptable and blame local officials to some extent wouldn't want to see federal agents or troops trying to police street crime. For the good of all, Trump ought to back off and tend to the expansive business that is his responsibility under the Constitution. Big-city policing isn't part of the president's job description. Democrats generally have responded to the latest Trump-induced breaches of normalcy by pointing out that crime is down in Washington, D.C., and in Chicago for that matter. Although justifiable by the data, this is not a winning political strategy in our view, not least because crime rates are just one more statistic that has become contested and that the nature of violent crime, in particular, is that when it impacts you or even someone you know, then the stats retreat into the rearview mirror. The most effective Trump counter from elected officials is crime-fighting specifics. From the rest of us, what matters most is support for all of those, in and out of uniform, who are working hard on the problem.
The Hill
2 days ago
- The Hill
What is Section 740 of the DC Home Rule Act?
President Trump on Monday announced he was taking federal control of Washington, D.C.'s police department and deploying the National Guard in the city in an attempt to fight crime. 'Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people, and we're not going to let it happen anymore. We're not going to take it,' the president said. The president is taking over the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) via the District of Columbia Home Rule Act's Section 740. Congress passed the act in the 1970s to give D.C. control over its local affairs. Here's what you need to know about the history and background of Section 740: What is the Home Rule Act? The D.C. City Council states on its website that the Home Rule Act 'is the result of the ongoing push by District residents for control of their own local affairs.' In 1790, Congress created the federal district to be the nation's capital. The Constitution states that the district lies under the jurisdiction of the legislative branch. While D.C. residents can participate in the presidential election with three electoral votes, they do not have a member of Congress who can vote on legislation. In the wake of the passage of the Home Rule Act in 1973, D.C. was allowed a council and mayor. But Congress still 'reviews all legislation passed by the Council before it can become law and retains authority over the District's budget,' even under the D.C. government established by the act. What is Section 740? Section 740 is a portion of the Home Rule Act which states that if a president 'determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist,' D.C.'s mayor has to lend them 'such services of the Metropolitan Police Force as the President may deem necessary and appropriate.' A president cannot take over those powers for over 48 hours unless, amid that period, they give an explanation of their reasons to Congress. There is also a limit of 30 days on those powers, even if Congress receives notification. What has led up to Trump's use of Section 740? Trump has again threatened to federalize D.C. in the wake of the alleged beating of a young man in an attempted carjacking in Washington two weekends ago. The man is Edward Coristine, who received attention earlier this year for being part of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the nickname of 'Big Balls.' Last week, Trump posted a message on social media featuring a photo of a bloodied Coristine and the president's sentiments that crime in the nation's capital was 'totally out of control. However, Trump did not name Coristine in that post. Trump also said that 'if D.C. doesn't get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run.'
The Hill
2 days ago
- The Hill
What's next as Trump takes over DC police, deploys National Guard
President Trump on Monday announced he was putting the Washington, D.C., police department under federal control and deploying the National Guard in what he portrayed as a crackdown on crime in the nation's capital. 'This is liberation day in D.C. and we're going to take our capital back,' said Trump, who has long floated plans to overhaul the District, which is governed by a council of elected representatives and a mayor. 'Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people, and we're not going to let it happen anymore,' the president told a packed White House press briefing room. With D.C. police now under federal control, here's what to expect next. Bondi, DEA chief to run point Trump's declaration of taking over the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) delegates authority of the city's police force to Attorney General Pam Bondi. A few hours after Trump's announcement, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she would follow the executive order and had reached out to Bondi to meet. Trump also announced he was designating Terry Cole as MPD's interim federal commissioner. Cole was confirmed just under three weeks ago to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Trump at his press conference lauded Cole as the 'most highly recommended person' and 'one of the top in the country.' 'He better be. Terry, if not, I'm going to get rid of you so fast,' Trump joked. MPD Chief Pamela Smith said she was in contact with federal partners, telling D.C. residents the announcement meant residents should expect an 'enhanced presence' in the city. One expert thinks it could have longlasting efforts on the department – and not in a good way. Tahir Duckett, executive director of the Center for Innovations in Community Safety and an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law, said some in the D.C. police force may get frustrated by reassignments and being overseen by a federal force that does very different work from community policing. It could also shake DC residents and further hamper crime-fighting. 'It's going to break down community trust, which any police officer will tell you, that the only way that you actually solve murders [or] armed robberies, is when you have really deep trust,' Duckett said. Congress to intervene Trump is taking over MPD by invoking a provision of the D.C. Home Rule Act, a law Congress passed in the 1970s that established a city council and gave it and the mayor control over local affairs. The provision, Section 740, provides Trump – and any U.S. president – some temporary ability to unilaterally seize control of MPD in emergency situations, but it also provides key levers for congressional intervention. Trump already met the initial requirement to provide written notification to Congress of the takeover within 48 hours. House Oversight Committee Republicans confirmed receipt on Monday. With the notifications delivered, Trump can unilaterally take over the police force for up to 30 days. Congress must pass a joint resolution to extend it further, which could leave Democrats in the position of voting against it, thus providing the GOP with a prime opportunity to portray the opposing party as 'soft on crime.' 'Congress will work with President Trump to restore law and order in Washington, D.C.,' House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) wrote on X. Lawmakers could also vote at any time to immediately take away Trump's control of MPD, and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said he would introduce such a measure. But Republicans' majorities in both chambers make any rebuke unlikely. Congress is also on recess until after Labor Day. Trump has additionally previously floated a federal takeover of the city more broadly, but that would require congressional approval. 800 National Guard troops to patrol DC Beyond the MPD takeover, Trump said on Monday that he's deploying 800 D.C. National Guard troops as the push to rid the capital of crime moves forward 'very rapidly.' Last week, the president had ordered federal law enforcement officials to patrol Washington streets for a week, an effort led by the U.S. Park Police with officers and agents from the FBI, DEA, ICE and other groups. 'The Metropolitan Police Department and the federal authorities will be supported in the effort, a really big effort, [by] the 800 DC National Guardsmen that we'll put on and much more if necessary,' Trump said. 'If necessary, we're going to move service members directly to joining the guardsmen. And that'll take place very rapidly.' The announcement drew sharp pushback from Democrats, arguing the capital's crime rates don't align with Trump's drastic move. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) argued there's 'no basis' for the takeover and suggested Trump 'get lost.' Trump controversially deployed more than 2,000 members of the National Guard in June to Los Angeles to crack down on protests over the administration's immigration policies, a move that bypassed the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). 'The president operates like he is the governor of D.C., and the governor of a state can deploy the National Guard in times of emergency. Here, I think there's an argument that there's no particular urgency,' said Paul Schiff Berman, a former dean of the George Washington University Law School. 'Even if there is an emergency with regard to some law enforcement priorities, it's not at all clear that the President really has the authority to unilaterally suspend the mayor's other governmental responsibilities.' Trump says he'll appoint judges, end no-cash bail Citing crime concerns, the president also shared plans to appoint new D.C. judges and end no-cash bail as part of his crackdown. 'We're going to be appointing some judges. You know, we have some open spots, and we're going to take people — because the judges are letting killers out,' Trump said at Monday's press conference. The president has the power to nominate D.C.'s local judges, and they must clear Senate confirmation. Trump added that Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and others had already recommended several candidates. 'We've got 10 open spots, and we can probably create some more. We need them,' Trump said. D.C.'s local trial court had 13 vacancies as of July 18, and its appeals court had two openings, according to the city's Judicial Nomination Commission. Trump also blasted no-cash bail systems in cities such as D.C., New York and Chicago. Illinois was the first state to eliminate cash bail as a condition of pretrial release back in 2023, while D.C. largely removed cash bail back in the 1990s. 'This dire public safety crisis stems directly from the abject failures of the city's local leadership. The radical left City Council adopted no cash bail,' Trump said. 'We're going to change no cash bail. We're going to change the statute and get rid of some of the other things, and we'll count on the Republicans in Congress and Senate to vote. We have the majority, so we'll vote.' DC attorney general considering legal options D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D) is leaving the door open to taking legal action against the president. 'We are considering all of our options and will do what's necessary to protect the rights and safety of District residents,' Schwalb said in a statement. Schwalb rebuked Trump's assertion that crime is out of control in D.C., pointing to recent data showing violent crime is down 26 percent so far in 2025. 'The Administration's actions are unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful. There is no crime emergency in the District of Columbia,' Schwalb said. But it remains unclear whether courts would have the power to review Trump's emergency declaration taking over MPD or otherwise intervene. And for the D.C. National Guard, Trump has greater control compared to state units across the country. The force in D.C. is always under the command of the president, not the mayor. That's in contrast to Trump's bid to federalize the California National Guard, which remains under a legal challenge from Newsom. 'One of the most important bulwarks against authoritarian rule in the United States is the fact that we have a Federalist system with shared sovereignty, so that the president or the federal government generally can't simply take over states,' said Berman. 'The problem is that D.C. is not a state. And so it gives the President more leeway. And that's really dangerous.'
