6 days ago
Can Donald Trump take over Washington DC?
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US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to put Washington DC under full federal control to reduce crime. While Trump has some authority over the capital city's federal control to reduce crime. While Trump has some authority over the capital city's in Constitution is clear on the subject: Congress has complete legislative authority over the district. But Congress has historically delegated at least some of the day-to-day work of municipal government to other Rule Act passed in 1973 allows city residents to elect a mayor and council, who have some autonomy to pass their own laws. Congress still has budgetary oversight over DC, however, and can overturn local city Mayor (Democrat Muriel Bowser at present) has authority over the city's Metropolitan Police Department. But the Home Rule Act allows the President to take control of the MPD for federal purposes during emergencies. A Presidential takeover is limited to 30 days, unless Congress votes to extend it through a joint resolution. Trump also has broad control over the DC National Guard's 2,700 soldiers and Unlikely. To exert full control, Trump would need Congress to repeal the Home Rule Act. Such a repeal would require 60 votes in the US Senate, where Trump's Republican Party has a 53-47 federal government owns much of Washington's parkland, so the Trump administration has legal authority to clear homeless encampments in those areas, like President Joe Biden did while in office. But the govt cannot force people to move out of the city because they lack shelter, legal experts said.