Trump says to seek extensions of federal control of D.C. police

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will submit a crime bill and ask Congress for approval to extend the federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department to address crime in the nation's capital.

"We're going to need a crime bill that we're going to be putting in, and it's going to pertain initially to D.C.," Trump told reporters following an event at the Kennedy Center. "We're going to be asking for extensions on that, long-term extensions, because you can't have 30 days."

On Monday, Trump signed an executive order declaring a crime emergency in Washington, D.C. to "protect public servants, citizens, and tourists, and ensure the safe functioning of the federal government," according to the White House.

The emergency will last for 30 days, and any extension needs to be approved by Congress.

Trump on Wednesday also criticized D.C.'s push for statehood, saying: "Statehood is ridiculous. We want to straighten the place out."

National Guard troops began deploying in D.C. on Tuesday night, with 800 members expected to be fully operational by the end of the week, a senior army official told local media.