President Trump on Monday appeared to ease off his threat of a federal crackdown on crime in Democratic-run cities but is doubling down on his takeover of Washington, D.C.

“I was telling some of the people that in a certain way you really want to be asked to go. I hate to barge in on a city and then be treated horribly by corrupt politicians and bad politicians,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

“I don’t like going to a town, city, place, a state, and then be criticized by some corrupt or incompetent governor where crime is rampant,” Trump added.

Trump last week had indicated that he would turn his attention to Chicago next.

The president on Monday also signed a series of executive orders that aimed to end cashless bail, increase penalties for desecrating the American flag, and to establish “specialized units” in the National Guard equipped to deal with public order issues.

Trump is also slated to meet with Lee Jae Myung, the new president of South Korea, on Monday.

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