A CNN senior legal analyst on Tuesday afternoon flatly rejected any notion that President Donald Trump could expand his takeover of Washington, D.C.'s law enforcement.
Trump ordered a federal takeover of Washington, D.C.'s police department. On Monday, he said he was placing the city's police force under direct federal control and was deploying National Guard troops to the nation's capital to address crime and homelessness. City officials have pushed back on the move, noting that crime has declined in recent years.
Former federal prosecutor Elie Honig joined CNN anchor Boris Sanchez to discuss the move, with Sanchez asking whether Honig believed Trump could expand his takeover to other cities.
"I wonder what you view as the legal strategy here from the White House as President Trump threatens to replicate this intervention in other major cities like Chicago," said Sanchez.
Honig called this a "very common tactic of this White House."
"The president has declared either emergencies or rebellions or insurrections. In that instance, you talk about in California, in various instances relating to deportation and the Alien Enemies Act, even in instituting the tariffs, he declared an international economic emergency," Honig said.,
"With respect, though, it’s important to understand when we hear the administration talking about using a similar model in Chicago or New York or L.A., this will not work in other cities," Honig warned. "D.C. is legally unique. There’s a specific law that gives the president the ability to take over the Metro police force, and also he can control the National Guard in D.C., unlike in the states, except for an emergency."
Watch the clip below or at this link.