Washington's mayor is combative after Trump measure

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• In Washington, federal authorities have taken over police powers on the orders of President Trump.
• By her own admission, the mayor of Washington wants to make the best of the takeover.
• There are additional powers, "and we want to make sure we use them".

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By her own admission, the mayor of Washington wants to make the best of the takeover of police power in the US capital Washington by the federal authorities. Her city will try to make the most of the increase in federal funding for policing in the city, Muriel Bowser said on Tuesday.

She emphasized that the Washington Police Department will maintain its independence. That also applies to personnel decisions, she said. "Our organizational chart, how we operate, how we fund policing - none of that has changed."

There are additional powers "and we want to make sure we use them," Bowser said after meeting with Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday to take control of the Capitol Police.

Bondi wrote on Platform X that the meeting with the mayor was "productive". The Department of Justice will work closely with the city administration and the police.

Bowser's words marked a change in tone from her initial reaction on Monday after Trump announced his action and the deployment of 800 National Guardsmen to Washington. Bowser had initially called the decision disturbing and unprecedented, pointing to a drop in violent crime in the city. On Tuesday, she said the influx of resources associated with Trump's measure would "only help Washington build on it".