The Trump administration’s crackdown on violent crime in Washington, D.C., has already netted more than 240 arrests and seized 38 guns off the streets, a White House official said.

The District of Columbia's attorney general sued Donald Trump on Friday in a bid to impede his attempted takeover of Washington's police force, escalating a power struggle between the Republican U.S.

President Trump has long demonized “blue” cities like Los Angeles, Washington and New York, claiming their leaders have allowed crime and blight to worsen.

A protest against Trump administration's effort to overhaul policing in the District of Columbia drew scores to Dupont Circle before a march to the White House. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

The showdown in Washington is the latest attempt by Trump to test the boundaries of his legal authority to carry out his tough-on-crime agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to speed up the mass deportation of people in the United States illegally.

Trump fulfills campaign promise by federalizing D.C. with 30-day emergency control, cracking down on crime in the nation's capital.