Democratic lawmaker torches Trump's DC police takeover as a 'white power' grab
Representative LaMonica McIver, who serves New Jersey 's 10th Congressional District, believes that Trump's rhetoric of 'Liberation Day' is rooted in racism.
'When he says, 'Oh,' you know, 'it's Liberation Day,' and all of these things, those are, you know, ways of him saying, 'Oh, it's white power,' McIver said during an appearance last week on the Defending Democracy Podcast hosted by Democratic Party election lawyer Marc Elias.
'Those are racist remarks,' the Congresswoman told Elias. 'His number one targets are cities that are led by black mayors.'
The New Jersey Democrat also complained that Trump's 'number one targets are sanctuary cities that ... support immigration.'
McIver is currently facing federal charges for storming an ICE facility in her home state of New Jersey earlier this summer. She has asked for the charges to be dismissed.
The congresswoman has pleaded not guilty to three counts of assaulting, resisting, impeding, and interfering with federal officials related to actions in the ICE facility skirmish.
'Sic the military on the very people that they're supposed to be protecting in these cities and then expect a certain response so that it can escalate — I truly believe that that's what the president hopes for,' McIver told Elias.
Democrat Rep LaMonica McIver says Trump making D.C. safer is racist and symbolizes 'white power.' pic.twitter.com/gwGMIsoWYa
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 18, 2025
White House spokesman Harrison Fields told The New York Post that McIver, was 'an unserious person' who had a 'catfight in front of an ICE facility.'
Trump announced last Monday that Washington's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was now under the control of Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Bondi shared Tuesday via a post made on X that 'there have been a total of 465 arrests, 68 guns seized, and charges for homicide, narcotics, and firearm offenses' since the DOJ started policing the nation's capital.
At the direction of @POTUS, our nation's capital is a SAFER place—and we are just getting started.
52 arrests were made last night, including an MS-13 gang member, and 9 firearms were taken off the streets.
Since our mission began, there have been a total of 465 arrests, 68…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) August 19, 2025
Trump's actions were spurred in part by high-profile attacks that have taken place this summer.
A former DOGE employee Edward Coristine, nicknamed 'Big Balls,' was mugged in DC while out on the town. The assailants severely beat the ex-DOGE aide leaving him bloodied, according to reports.
Trump said he was lucky to be alive.
A congressional intern was also fatally shot not far from downtown earlier this summer.
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