President Donald Trump has pledged to deploy National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., and take control of the city's police force to combat crime and homelessness.

Trump declared a "public safety emergency" on Monday and said he would deploy 800 National Guard troops to assist hundreds of federal law enforcement officers by the end of the week.

"The situation is becoming completely lawless," he told reporters at the White House.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has rejected the president's accusations about the city's crime rate.

Crime in the city was high in 2023, but data shows it has declined in subsequent years.