The city's Democratic mayor and police chief framed the influx as a plus for public safety, though they said there are few hard measures for what a successful end to the operation might look like.

Following President Donald Trump’s unprecedented announcement that his administration would take over the Washington, D.C., police department and dispatch the National Guard for at least a month, the White House announced there would be a round-the-clock presence of local and federal law enforcement officers in the city.