Order sets rules for federal forces as locals stage noise protests, block indictments and demand home rule
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Washington DC’s mayor, Muriel Bowser bowed to Donald Trump’s military occupation of the nation’s capital on Tuesday, signing an executive order that formalizes cooperation with federal forces even as residents push back against the deployment.
The Tuesday order establishes the “Safe and Beautiful Emergency Operations Center” – borrowing from Trump’s own branding – to institutionalize collaboration between city officials and various federal agencies including the FBI.
The move formalizes Bowser’s surrender to Trump’s national guard deployment across the nation’s capital through an uncertain duration, with the Pentagon previously saying the troops will remain “until law and order is restored”. The more than 2,000 troops could stay through December to continue benefits for service members, according to a senior official who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity, although the mission may not last until then.
