US President, Donald Trump has deployed the National Guard to Washington DC as he announced a crackdown on crime and homelessness in the city – watch his news conference live above
Trump also placed the capital’s police under federal control , an unprecedented step, injecting the White House deep into the day-to-day management of one of the nation’s largest municipal police forces.
The US President said the city has been “taken over by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals” – DC Mayor Muriel Bowser rejects his claims, as data shows violent crime in the city is at a 30-year low
‘If our capital is dirty, our whole country is dirty.
“Everything should be perfect” when these dignitaries visit, Trump explains.
“It’s a very strong reflection of our country,” he adds. “If our capital is dirty, our whole country is dirty and they don’t respect us.”