Why Trump has the FBI, ICE and TSA patrolling Washington streets

President Donald Trump's message of law and order has manifested itself in Washington, DC, in a way he's threatened to do in states but has not been able to achieve. In the nation's capital, Trump has been able to more easily direct troops and a range of federal authorities positioned across the city to respond to protests stemming from the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, in the custody of Minneapolis police officers. The city's status as a district, not a state, allows the President, and in turn the federal government, more leeway. Combined, at least 5,800 troops, agents, and officers have taken to the streets of the District. Among them are personnel from the national guard, US Secret Service, US Park Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, US Marshals Service, Bureau of Prisons, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Protective Service and the Transportation Security Administration. Sources say the President is viewing Washington through the lens of the rest of the country, believing if he can prove that DC is "under control," the rest of the country can be as well. There have been multiple discussions inside the White House over what authorities they can utilize in the capital city. The growing presence of federal authorities elicited criticism from DC officials and resulted in a stream of images of authorities dressed in full fatigues patrolling the streets of the city's downtown.Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said Wednesday that DC police and her office are comfortable with agents they regularly work with during large demonstrations in the capital, like the DEA and the FBI, but she could not speak to the other agencies' presence in the city. "The thing for us to be concerned about is who's giving the orders," Bowser said during a news conference. "We are not giving orders to federal police of any sort." The mayor also said there's been ongoing discussions about what the President can and can't do regarding law enforcement. "We are, how shall I say, examining every legal question about the President's authority to send troops, even National Guard, to the District of Columbia, and if he has to make any other legal steps to do that." Bowser said she has only requested 100 national guardsmen from the DC National Guard to "help us with the perimeter," but has not requested additional members from states...MORE