WASHINGTON

US Sen. Jack Reed slammed President Donald Trump’s decision Monday to place the DC Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploy National Guard troops throughout the nation’s capital.

"President Trump’s ever-expanding use of the military for domestic matters is beyond alarming.

"I have always supported strong law enforcement in our communities, but this National Guard deployment and federalization of city police is misguided and unsupported by the facts," Reed, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.

It came after Trump announced he is placing police in the nation's capital under federal control, and is deploying the National Guard to address a "public safety emergency."

The Pentagon said 800 soldiers were activated Monday, with 100 - 200 supporting law enforcement. Duties for the personnel include administrative and logistical roles, as well as providing a physical presence in support of law enforcement, it added.

"Our military is trained to defend the nation from external threats and assist communities during disasters or emergencies, not to conduct day-to-day domestic policing. This deployment is a serious misuse of the National Guard’s time and talent," said Reed.

Arguing that Trump is "exploiting" his power, Reed warned that the president’s actions signal a shift in the use of US military forces for political purposes, citing similar moves in Los Angeles.

Calling for the immediate withdrawal of the troops, Reed urged Congress to assert oversight and defend the constitutional balance of power.

"We must uphold America’s system of checks and balances or risk the rights and civil liberties of Americans everywhere," he added.

Trump claimed that Washington, DC "has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people, and we're not going to let it happen anymore."