Trump wants to evict homeless from Washington and send them 'far from the capital'
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
President Donald Trump pledged on Sunday to evict homeless people from the nation's capital and jail criminals, despite Washington's mayor arguing there is no current spike in crime."The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don't have to move out. We're going to put you in jail where you belong," Trump posted on the Truth Social platform.The White House declined to explain what legal authority Trump would use to evict people from Washington. The Republican president controls only federal land and buildings in the city. Trump is planning to hold a press conference on Monday to "stop violent crime in Washington, D.C." It was not clear whether he would announce more details about his eviction plan then.Trump's Truth Social post included pictures of tents and D.C. streets with some garbage on them. "I'm going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before," he said.According to the Community Partnership, an organization working to reduce homelessness in D.C., on any given night there are 3,782 single persons experiencing homelessness in the city of about 700,000 people.Most of the homeless individuals are in emergency shelters or transitional housing. About 800 are considered unsheltered or "on the street," the organization says.A White House official said on Friday that more federal law enforcement officers were being deployed in the city following a violent attack on a young Trump administration staffer that angered the president.Alleged crimes investigated by federal agents on Friday night included "multiple persons carrying a pistol without license," motorists driving on suspended licenses, and dirt bike riding, according to a White House official on Sunday. The official said 450 federal law enforcement officers were deployed across the city on Saturday.The Democratic mayor of Washington, D.C., Muriel Bowser, said on Sunday the capital was "not experiencing a crime spike.""It is true that we had a terrible spike in crime in 2023, but this is not 2023," Bowser said on MSNBC's The Weekend. "We have spent over the last two years driving down violent crime in this city, driving it down to a 30-year low."The city's police department reports that violent crime in the first seven months of 2025 was down by 26% in D.C. compared with last year while overall crime was down about 7%.Bowser said Trump is "very aware" of the city's work with federal law enforcement after meeting with Trump several weeks ago in the Oval Office.The U.S. Congress has control of D.C.'s budget after the district was established in 1790 with land from neighboring Virginia and Maryland, but resident voters elect a mayor and city council.For Trump to take over the city, Congress likely would have to pass a law revoking the law that established local elected leadership, which Trump would have to sign. Bowser on Sunday noted the president's ability to call up the National Guard if he wanted, a tactic the administration used recently in Los Angeles after immigration protests over the objections of local officials.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
17 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Russian Forces Make Major Advances in Ukraine Ahead of Trump-Putin Summit
Russian troops have recently made significant advances in eastern Ukraine, escalating tensions just before the upcoming Trump-Putin summit. The meeting aims to explore discussions on potential peace, but Russia's ongoing advances raise concerns on its commitment. Ukrainian officials express concern that Moscow's actions signal a strategy to strengthen their position rather than seek genuine diplomacy. The summit could be a pivotal moment for the region's future stability. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Diplomatic Talks Shadowed by Military Action Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Strategic Intentions Behind Moscow's Moves FAQs: As anticipation builds for the upcoming meeting between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin , Russian military forces have launched significant offensives across Ukraine. These developments intensify concerns about Moscow's true intentions and the prospects for peace and escalating the Donetsk region, Russian troops have ramped up their military campaign, making important territorial progress. Using coordinated assaults, Moscow's forces broke through Ukrainian defenses near key villages including Kucheriv Yar and Zolotyi Kolodiaz. These advances represent some of the most substantial progress in recent weeks, enabling Russia to strengthen its position on contested Russian units in the Sumy region have pushed closer to the Ukrainian border. Verified reports and geolocated footage indicate advances around Oleksiivka and Yunakivka, signaling a broader push by Moscow into northern Ukrainian territory. These maneuvers are viewed as strategic moves to strengthen Russia's negotiating position by demonstrating ongoing battlefield timing of these offensives coincides with the Trump-Putin summit set for August 15 in Alaska. The meeting is observed as an opportunity to explore peace discussions, but the recent escalation complicates diplomatic efforts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remains cautious, warning that Russia's enhanced military activity undermines hopes for a swift Trump has characterized the summit as a 'feel-out session' where he hopes to rapidly assess Putin's willingness to negotiate a resolution. Trump remains optimistic about assessing the potential for peace within minutes of the discussions, though many experts regard the meeting as an initial step rather than a decisive suggest that Russia's recent advances are part of a deliberate strategy to strengthen its bargaining position. By demonstrating continued momentum on the battlefield, Moscow may seek to pressure the West into accepting Russia's territorial gains or granting observers warn that Putin might use the summit to legitimize international recognition of Russia's control over disputed regions, complicating efforts for a lasting peace. This approach risks prolonging the conflict and deepening geopolitical divisions between Russia and Western countries.A1. Russian troops have advanced in several key areas of eastern Ukraine, increasing military pressure on Ukrainian forces.A2. The summit is intended to provide a platform for dialogue between the U.S. and Russia on conflict resolution and other issues.
Indian Express
17 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Rahul alleges malpractice in voting: Maharashtra Cong to ‘reach out to every household to apprise people of wrongdoings'
Intensifying the nationwide protest against the alleged malpractices in election process launched by party leader Rahul Gandhi, the state Congress on Tuesday said it would appraise people in the state of the 'wrongdoings by reaching out to every household'. 'Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has proved the wrongdoings in the election process of the country. The Election Commission (EC), instead of responding to the queries raised, has served notice to him. The state Congress will further intensify the protest in Maharashtra,' said Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, in-charge of party affairs in Maharashtra. He said the BJP and the Union government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi are finishing democracy. 'Free and fair elections are becoming impossible in the country. We had raised it in the Maharashtra Assembly election when we noticed a big change in voters' choice compared to three months prior to that during the Lok Sabha elections last year,' he added. 'The malpractices seen during the Maharashtra Assembly elections were also witnessed in the Haryana Assembly elections and now it is likely to be repeated in the Bihar elections,' he said. The EC does what the BJP-led Union government says and the BJP is busy defending the EC for the wrongdoings, said Chennithala. 'The state Congress will reach out to every household on the issue of malpractices in elections. We will do a signature campaign and tell the public about vote cheating,' he said. The Congress leader said the Mahayuti government is postponing local body elections deliberately so as to use funds of civic bodies to manage its finances as the government is facing a serious financial crisis due to its wrong schemes. The Congress has not taken any decision on a pre-poll alliance for the forthcoming civic polls, he said, adding the party leaders are still discussing it. Chennithala said the closeness of two cousins MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray was not a cause of concern for the Congress. 'MNS is not in our alliance. We don't know anything about the MNS and Sena (UBT) alliance, so we cannot comment on it. We don't have any issues if cousins are coming close but the alliance of their parties will be a political issue. We will discuss if it actually happens,' he said. State Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal said BJP rule in the country is destroying democracy and the party has chalked out a six-month programme to protest against it. 'The BJP always talks of a Congress-free country but 40 per cent of its leaders are imported from the Congress,' he said.
Indian Express
17 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘EC made me grandma': First-time voter Minta Devi shown as 124 years old in Bihar electoral rolls
The Election Commission has made me a grandma, said Minta Devi, suppressing a laugh, on a day opposition MPs led by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra staged a demonstration in the national capital with her name and photo printed on their shirts. If the draft electoral rolls in Bihar were to be believed, the 'first time' voter, at '124 years', could well be the oldest in the state, where more than 7 crore electors will be exercising their franchise in a couple of months. 'How can I be blamed for the goof-up? I had filled up my enumeration form online, after having waited in vain for a visit by the booth-level officer,' said the 35-year-old, whose name is now trending on social media. However, the Siwan district administration has issued a statement, claiming that the would-be voter of the Daraunda assembly segment has been contacted and remedial steps were taken well before the anomaly made headlines. According to a statement issued by the collectorate of Siwan, 'An application was obtained from Minta Devi on August 10 for rectifying the error, to which her attention was drawn by the BLO. It will be dealt with during the claims and objections phase (of special intensive revision of electoral rolls)'. The matter has come to light at a time when parties opposed to the ruling NDA are assailing the special intensive revision (SIR), in the Parliament as well as the Supreme Court. Minta Devi, however, is enjoying a good laugh. 'I am thrilled that, finally, at the age of 35, I may get a chance to cast my vote. Many polls have passed since I became eligible but somehow my name never made it to the voters' list. If the EC has made me a grandma (daadi bana diya) in the process, it is fine with me. I have nothing to fear. I had stated my year of birth as 1990, the same as in my Aadhar card. I cannot help it if in the draft rolls 1990 has been made 1900,' she told reporters. Meanwhile, social media was left abuzz with users raising doubts over two centenarians, both women, figuring in the voters' list for another assembly constituency. The election officials were left coming out with statements asserting that Farzana Khatun and Asha Devi, both voters of Pirpainti assembly segment in Bhagalpur district, were, in fact, 120 years old. The EC, however, did not respond to the claim, in a section of the media that the two centenarians were also registered as 'first-time voters'.
