President Trump has repeatedly suggested that the rule of Washington could be returned to federal authorities.

"President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens. Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. Multiple agencies are contributing to the effort, starting in the early hours of Friday morning.

The deployment follows President Trump’s effort to portray the nation’s capital as rife with violent crime, despite data showing crime rates dropping significantly.