Trump Announces DC Crime Measures, Signals Chicago Expansion

President Donald Trump on Monday announced new executive actions aimed at tightening federal control over crime and public safety in Washington, D.C., and signaled a potential expansion of federal efforts to Chicago and other Democratic-leaning cities. Speaking in the Oval Office for more than an hour, he criticized opponents as ungrateful for federal intervention, defended a National Guard-backed crackdown on crime and immigration, and suggested that many Americans might actually prefer a dictator—even as he insisted he is not one.

The measures include the deployment of a specialized unit within the capital’s National Guard to preserve public order and an order ending cashless bail in the city, along with the signing of an executive directive to prosecute individuals who burn the American flag. He described the flag-protection policy as necessary despite longstanding Supreme Court precedent, and he implied the changes could be extended to other cities, including Chicago and Baltimore, where he has previously raised the prospect of sending troops. He asserted readiness to act even if governors do not request federal assistance, a stance that critics say would circumvent...