The US capital, he declared, had been "overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people". He vowed to rescue it from "bedlam and squalor" and to let the police "do whatever the hell they want".

President Trump said he’s planning to ride along Thursday night with troops patrolling Washington, D.C., as part of his federal crackdown. “I’m going to be going out tonight, I think, with the police and with the military,