Congress will have a significant role to play if President Donald Trump wants to extend his takeover of the police in Washington, D.C., to crack down on crime for more than a month.

Trump invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act and declared a public emergency on Monday. Under the law, Trump is allowed to direct the D.C. mayor to deliver him control of the Metropolitan Police Department.

However, the Home Rule Act says the president is allowed to initially use this power for up to 48 hours. If the president wants to extend that authority for 30 days, relevant committees in Congress must be notified with an explanation of the need and expected time duration.

Indeed, Trump wrote a letter on Monday to the House Oversight Committee saying he needed to address violent crime in D.C. He noted the emergency would continue until he determined it was no longer needed or lasted for the “maximum period” allowed under Section 740.

Any period beyond 30 days would require Congress to pass a joint resolution that authorizes the extension. Presently, Republicans control both chambers of Congress. The GOP leaders of the House and Senate have both expressed approval of Trump’s D.C. police takeover.

“Every American should be able to visit and enjoy Washington, D.C. without fear. House Republicans support this effort to CLEAN UP Washington, END the crime wave, and RESTORE the beauty of the greatest capital in the world,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) declared in a post on X.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said, “I’m grateful for [Trump’s] leadership and for this administration’s commitment to protecting communities large and small across America. Washington, D.C., should be a place where people can safely live, visit, work, and raise a family, and today’s announcement is a positive step in that direction.”

Democrats have been heavily critical of the move and plan to push legislation that would give nation’s capital “full control” of its police force as well as the D.C. National Guard, which Trump previously said he was deploying to assist in the crime-fighting effort.

“Violent crime in Washington, D.C. is at a thirty-year low. Donald Trump has no basis to take over the local police department. And zero credibility on the issue of law and order. Get lost,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said in a post on X.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) proclaimed, “For all the talk Republicans give about giving their localities their rights, where are they now? If this was anything other than a political ploy and attempted distraction from Trump’s other scandals, if he actually cared about the people of DC, he’d demand the House finally release the billion dollars of DC’s funding they’ve been sitting on for months.”

Bravo star Jennifer Welch is getting dragged on social media for suggesting that Trump supporters should be barred from dining at Chinese, Indian, and Mexican restaurants, but should instead be forced to bring their “fat asses over to Cracker Barrel.” 

The “Sweet Home Oklahoma” star made the comments during an appearance on the “I’ve Had It” podcast. 

“I’ve had it with white people that triple Trumped, that have the nerve and the audacity to walk into a Mexican restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, an Indian restaurant, go to perhaps their gay hairdresser,” the mom of two said in anger.

“Triple Trump” refers to agreeing with the president’s policies on immigration, DEI, and LGBTQ issues, according to the New York Post. According to internet slang databases ‘Triple Trumper’ can also refer to a person who voted for President Trump in all of the last 3 presidential elections: 2016, 2020 and 2024.

“I don’t think you should be able to enjoy anything but Cracker Barrel,” she continued.

“If you want to triple Trump, if you want to brow beat DEI, if you want to brow beat gay people, you want to brow beat black people as you have been doing for hundreds of years… White people that triple Trumped should be boycotted, banned from enjoying the best thing that America has to offer, which is multiculturalism,” Welch said during her rant.

“Get your fat asses out of the Mexican restaurant. Get your fat asses over to Cracker Barrel because nobody wants to see your f***ing smug ass, teeny weeny pink arm, big gut around,” she went on. “Nobody wants to see that sh**, no one.”

Commenters on social media shot back at the TV personality.

“It’s always the most intolerant and hateful pretending to love everyone,” one person said in reply, as the New York Post reported.

“Uber Karen. I voted for Trump and I’m having a burrito with chorizo and spinach dip for lunch today.”

“Ah, so minorities are just flavors to her, this explains so much,” a person on X said in reply. 

“What an idiotic comment… completely detached from reality,” another person wrote. “Legal immigrants are not illegal immigrants! Stop conflating the two.”