Democratic lawmakers are pushing a joint resolution to put the kibosh on President Trump's use of the D.C. Metropolitan Police force for federal purposes.

Tension in the nation's capital escalated over the question of who controls the city's police department after Washington, D.C.'s Attorney General sued over the White House's bid for full control.

President Trump said he would take over Washington, D.C.’s police force and deploy National Guard troops to fight crime and car thefts.

D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith will remain in control of the Metropolitan Police Department after D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit Friday challenging what he called an unlawful attempt by the federal government to seize control of the city’s police force.

U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (VA-8), Steny Hoyer (MD-5), Jamie Raskin (MD-8), Jennifer McClellan (VA-4), Glenn Ivey (MD-4), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Sarah Elfreth (MD-3), Eugene Vindman (VA-7), and April McClain Delaney (MD-6) today issued the following statement on President Trump’s announcement that he would temporarily federalize the Washington D.

A former MPD sergeant claims that top officials sought to ‘downgrade crimes in order to make crime look like it was less than it was.’

Trump’s Wednesday announcement had the feel of both an awards reveal and a political rally. Seated in the front row to Trump’s left were South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, whom Trump congratulated on his poll numbers in his reelection campaign, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

The White House has confirmed the temporary chain of command for the District of Columbia police force over the next month, placing the ultimate authority for the department with President Donald Trump.