Trump assembles task force to crack down on D.C. crime
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President Trump is setting up a task force of federal officials directed to crack down on crime and "maximize immigration enforcement" in D.C.
Why it matters: After months of will-he or won't-he, Trump followed through on campaign rhetoric to intervene in the city's management.
State of play: Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that sets up a "D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force," which is instructed to work closely with local officials.
- The order calls for "deploying a more robust federal law enforcement presence" in D.C.
- It includes "directing maximum enforcement of federal immigration law and redirecting available federal, state, or local law enforcement resources to apprehend and deport illegal aliens" in the D.C. area.
- The order also creates a new program to "beautify" Washington, per a White House fact sheet. That includes clearing homeless encampments and removing graffiti on federal land, as well as restoring federal buildings, monuments, memorials, parks, and roadways.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said the order is "insulting to the 700,000 D.C. residents."
- The task force "would not include a single D.C. official to represent the interests of the people who reside within the District," she said in a statement.
- Mayor Muriel Bowser's office didn't return Axios' request for comment.
The intrigue: The order also mentions some specific policy changes in D.C., including keeping "dangerous criminals off the streets by strengthening pre-trial detention policies."
- Also: Expediting concealed carry licenses for "law-abiding citizens." Currently, individuals with a licensed firearm must complete hours of safety and range training and pass a background check.
- Trump also wants to get further involved with Metro. The order calls for cracking down on fare evasion and "other crimes."
Separately, Trump signed another executive order Thursday directing Smithsonian museums to remove what he deems "improper ideology" from its museums, education and research centers and the National Zoo.
- He says the vice president and the director of the Office of Management and Budget should work with Congress to ensure future appropriations to the Smithsonian adhere to federal guidelines.
Zoom in: Trump tasked the vice president and OMB director with working with Congress to make sure the Women's History Museum, which is in development, does "not recognize men as women in any respect."
- He says the Secretary of the Interior should determine whether any public monuments, memorials or statues in its jurisdiction have been removed or changed "to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history" since 2020.
Go deeper: Trump targets Smithsonian funding for programs with "improper ideology"