Monday, August 11, 2025

What did Donald Trump do today?

He seized control of the Washington, D.C. police and put FBI and National Guard troops on its streets over a non-existent crime "emergency."

Today, after a week of telegraphing it, Trump seized control of the DC police and sent federal and military forces into its streets. He explicitly identified an assault by two minor children, a girl and a boy, on an infamous DOGE employee as the reason for placing another major American city under de facto martial law, but also cited the existence of homeless people and litter.

Many of the federal agents reassigned from their normal duties at the FBI and DEA were not accustomed to patrol work, and milled about uncomfortably in tourist areas. In an incident that might have been amusing under other circumstances, two dozen FBI agents swarmed the scene of minor traffic accident this morning.

In justifying this, Trump called the Americans who lived in the city "filth" and "scum." The District of Columbia is majority non-white. He also listed specific cities he intended to target next: Los Angeles, which he's already marched American troops into once, and Baltimore, Chicago, Oakland, and New York City. Like Washington, all of those cities have Democratic mayors who are Black.

In reality, crime in Washington is historically low, with all forms of violent crime down by double digits in the past year. Overall, the crime rate in the city is at its lowest point in thirty years—and that is backed up by a Department of Justice press release from earlier this year that, as of the time of this post, had not been taken down. That drop in DC's crime rate mirrors a nationwide decline in crime rates, which is at its lowest rate in more than half a century. 

That point bears emphasis: the median American was not alive the last time violent crime was this low, sixty years ago. 

Of course, there is crime in Washington. For example, less than five years ago, it was the site of one of the largest and most violent riots in recent history, although very few of the criminals involved were from the District. Shortly after returning to office, pardoned more than 1,000 of the criminals involved in that massive attack on Congress and law enforcement.

During those riots on January 6th, with video of DC police being beaten unconscious going out live for most of the day, Trump adamantly refused to call out the D.C. National Guard until it was clear that the insurrection had failed.  

Trump is a convicted felon who has been accused of sexual violence by dozens of women, and was found by a civil jury to have raped a woman. He appeared today beside Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, whose own mother accused him of domestic violence. Attorney General Pam Bondi, his former defense attorney who, as Florida's Attorney General, took an illegal campaign contribution from him and then dropped a state action against his fraudulent "university," also appeared with him.

Why does this matter? 

  • Nobody, not even Donald Trump, thinks this is about crime. 
  • Nobody who thinks Americans are "filth" or "scum" because of where they live or how much money they have or who they voted for is fit to be president.  
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