President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday tasking his secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, with establishing “specialized units” in the National Guard that will be “specifically trained and equipped to deal with public order issues” — the clearest sign yet he intends to expand the US military’s role in domestic law enforcement activities across the country.

President Donald Trump said he is still prepared to order National Guard troops to other American cities but that he wanted local officials to request his help.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) is pressing Trump administration officials about the cost of the National Guard deployment to the nation’s capital, in addition to the scope and legal parameters of the operation.