Former Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday said he "fully" supports President Donald Trump's federal takeover of law enforcement in Washington, D.C.
Trump on Monday said he was putting Washington's police department under federal control and ordering the National Guard to deploy to the nation's capital to combat what he said is a wave of lawlessness.
While appearing on CNN’s "State of the Union," Pence was asked about the National Guard’s presence in the district.
"I welcome his decision to deploy the National Guard and essentially federalize the D.C. police department. I know that it's all now working in a very cooperative way," Pence told host Jake Tapper.
"Jake, if the District of Columbia was actually a state, it would have the highest homicide rate in the country. And this is where our national government has to be able to operate, where tens of thousands of people, you included, work every day."
Pence continued.
"I think it's important what the president is doing. I fully support it," he said. "And I think the American people welcome the president taking decisive action to ensure the streets of our nation's capital are safe and also continues to provide resources across the country to make all of our cities and towns and communities safe."
The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that more National Guard troops are heading to Washington, D.C., and they're preparing to start carrying weapons in the coming days.
Three Republican-led states said Saturday that they were deploying hundreds of National Guard troops to the nation’s capital to bolster the Trump administration’s effort to overhaul policing in Washington.
West Virginia said it was deploying 300 to 400 troops, while South Carolina pledged 200, and Ohio says it will send 150 in the coming days, marking a significant escalation of the federal intervention.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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