White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will speak to reporters Tuesday afternoon as National Guard troops begin their deployment in Washington to crackdown on what President Trump has called “violent crime” in the nation’s capital.
Trump on Monday activated the National Guard and announced he was putting the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal control. He named Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Terry Cole to lead the effort.
Democrats and local leaders have denounced the move.
The briefing also comes just days before the president is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss bringing an end to the Russia-Ukraine war that began over three years ago. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pushed back on a proposed territory swap and urged his counterparts to allow Kyiv to be part of the conversation.
The event is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. EDT.
