Disorder is the enemy of liberty: The president has the right to act in D.C., but time is not on his side

When the Trump Administration decided to federalize, at least for 30 days, the police force in Washington, D.C., the political left declared a crisis for our democracy. And yet, it is unquestionably true that the president of the United States has the authority to do exactly what President Trump has now done. Direct federal supervision of local law enforcement is temporary and date-stamped by law, and it can be traced directly to a federal act that goes back to 1973, having to do with home rule