Michael Steele: Trump wants 'personal little cadre of police and enforcers'

Former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Michael Steele on Tuesday slammed President Trump for what he described as an attempt to turn federal law enforcement agencies into his personal enforcement arm, while lamenting the lack of coordinated pushback.

“Look, the reality of is Donald Trump wants to take the DOJ [Department of Justice], the FBI, the military, and make them all a part of his own personal little cadre of police and enforcers. That’s it,” Steele said during a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC’s “The Weeknight.”

“And I just wish people would get off their behinds and understand exactly what’s at stake, because, Sarah, the reality of it is that Donald Trump, at the end of the day, will do this and continue to do this until he's stopped,” he added. 

Steele, who chaired the RNC from 2009 to 2011, has been an outspoken critic of the president, often breaking with most of the Republican party.

Last week, the president invoked section 740 of DC’s Home Rule Act, repealing local authority and placing the nation’s capital under federal control. 

Democrats have railed against Trump's deployment of federal law enforcement agencies and the National Guard to Washington D.C. starting last week, in what Trump has said is a move to tackle crime in the city.

Six Republican governors have sent their own National Guard members to join the combined force, while Democratic governors have opposed the move.

Trump's move in Washington comes weeks after he deployed troops to Los Angeles, spurring legal pushback from the state. Trump also drew criticism from Democrats earlier this year for a highly political speech at Fort Bragg and a military parade in D.C.

The Trump administration has also faced growing questions about the independence of the DOJ and FBI, which have opened various investigations into the president's perceived political enemies.

A survey released Wednesday by The Washington Post found 69 percent of D.C. residents said they “strongly” oppose the president’s decision to take federal control over the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and 10 percent said they “somewhat” oppose the move.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration accused the MPD of skewing crime data to reflect lower rates and announced a probe into the local force.

Steele said many of Trump’s actions are unwarranted and unwelcome by most Americans.

“He’s always operated that way, and I — it kills me why no one’s figured that stuff out. Not Democrats, not Republicans, not the media. No one has figured out that he will continue to exact the price on this democracy until someone stops him,” Steele said on air.