President Trump said on Monday that he would take control of the Washington, D.C., police department and send hundreds of National Guard troops to the city.

Devlin Barrett, who covers the F.B.I. for The New York Times, explains why the president says this is necessary and how it fits into his broader strategy for dealing with cities run by Democrats.

Guest: Devlin Barrett, a New York Times reporter covering the Justice Department and the F.B.I.

Background reading: 

• Trump ordered the National Guard to Washington and a takeover of the capital’s police.
• But crime is down in Washington.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Kent Nishimura for The New York Times

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