Trump's DOJ just undercut his threats to snub Congress in DC takeover

President Donald Trump's move to federalize law enforcement in Washington, D.C. has a catch: Congress needs to approve it if it lasts longer than 30 days. But Trump has been threatening to invoke national emergency powers to bypass the law and cut Congress out of the loop altogether.

However, in court on Friday afternoon, an attorney with the Department of Justice undercut the idea that was on the table, according to former Department of Defense special counsel and legal analyst Ryan Goodman, who was covering the proceedings on X.

The D.C. attorney general, who filed the suit against the occupation, asked Judge Ana Reyes at the hearing to temporarily block Trump's ability to control D.C. law enforcement through the orders signed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, while the case proceeds through court.

As Goodman noted, at one point in the hearing, "Government attorney acknowledges to Judge Reyes that if Congress does not approve extension beyond 30 days, there's NO AUTHORITY for the president to extend emergency power re Metropolitan Police beyond the 30 days."

According to CNN, Reyes more broadly appeared skeptical of Trump's powers to do everything he is doing in D.C.

Trump has claimed authority to take over the city's police under the Home Rule Act. However, Reyes noted that the law doesn't actually include a provision to let the president assume full command of the city's police; it just allows him to make law enforcement directives to the mayor.

Reyes asked both parties to agree on how the order will be enforced for the time being, saying, “I want to get to a practical solution because time is short and there are people who need to know who they are taking direction from and what they are doing.”