Trump news at a glance: president eyes ‘long-term’ DC police takeover; warns Putin of consequences if no ceasefire reached

President's crackdown in DC widens as he seeks greater power over authorities - key US politics stories from 13 August 2025

After deploying the national guard to the streets of the American capital, Donald Trump is now eyeing longer-term powers over authorities, saying on Wednesday that he is seeking to extend his temporary powers over Washington DC's police department.

Trump earlier this week invoked a never-before-used clause of the law that sets out the federal district's governance structure to take temporary control of the police department, but will need Congress's permission to extend it beyond the 30 days allowed under the statute.