Donald Trumpโs most recent โclean upโ plan There has been intense criticism and a resurgence of calls for impeachment in Washington, D.C. The president declared a broad crackdown on crime in the capital on Monday, promising that no โMr Nice Guyโ strategy would be used.
These actions included directing homeless people to โmove out IMMEDIATELYโ and sending the National Guard to take over the cityโs Metropolitan Police Department for 30 days on behalf of the federal government.
It was the worldโs most beautiful capital before the tents, dirt, misery, and crime. Thatโs going to happen again shortly,โ Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Despite official data showing violent crime at a 30-year low, Trump characterized D.C. as a โsanctuary for illegal alien criminalsโ beset by โlawlessness,โ claiming the city has higher homicide rates than Bogotรก and Mexico City. According to Politico, Obama justified the government participation by citing Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which presently has 800 National Guard personnel on the streets.
Trumpโs statement that officers can โdo whatever the hell they wantโ in response to animosity was arguably the most contentious. He informed reporters, โThatโs the only language they understand.โ โWe hit after you spit, and they can hit really hard.โ
โUncomfortable and unheard ofโ Mayor of D.C. Muriel Bowser described the action as โunsettling and unprecedented,โ but added that it was โnot totally surprisingโ considering Trumpโs prior statements. Critics referred to the action as authoritarian online. A Reddit user remarked, โThe Trump police state is upon us.โ Others warned that the comments normalize the notion that law enforcement requires โspecial permission to break skullsโ and referred to them as โevilโ and โa road mapโ for increased police violence.
The LA crackdown raises legal concerns. The D.C. takeover coincides with Trumpโs court battle over his use of the National Guardโan unprecedented federal deployment without a governorโs approvalโduring immigration protests in June in Los Angeles.
California officials claim it was โa clear violation of the most fundamental principles of our Nationโs founding,โ arguing that it went against the core idea that states should be in charge of their own National Guard forces. According to the administration, the action was permitted by the law as it stands. โThis is liberation day in D.C., and weโre going to take our capital back,โ is Trumpโs unambiguous message.
