President Trump said during a radio interview that he would join a patrol on the streets of Washington on Thursday night, going out alongside police officers and members of National Guard units who have been deployed to the city as part of his crackdown on the city.
It is not clear what time or where in the capital the president might go on his planned patrol, or what his presence would require in terms of logistics, and the White House did not immediately provide details. Even a short drive across town by the president’s armored motorcade is generally a tightly planned event; an open-air trip to the streets would most likely require unusually high security.
“I’m going to be going out tonight, I think with the police, and with the military of course,” he said during an interview with Todd Starnes, a conservative talk radio host based in Tennessee.
“We’re going to do a job,” Mr. Trump added.
Federal law enforcement units, including National Guard members from several states, have come into the city since Mr. Trump last week declared a public safety emergency, allowing him to enlist the city’s police in a Justice Department-led effort to combat crime.
They have been deployed to some of the city’s popular nightlife districts, and also to the capital’s tourist areas, including neighborhoods around the White House and Union Station.
The forced marriage between local and federal law enforcement officials has caused friction, as the federal officials focus not just on arresting violent criminals, but also devote considerable attention to immigration arrests and dismantling homeless encampments.
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The post Trump Says He’ll Join D.C. Patrols on Thursday Night appeared first on New York Times.
