Pou takes heat over Israel trip
Two freshman Democrats from New Jersey just went on an AIPAC-affiliated trip to Israel: Nellie Pou and Herb Conaway. But only Pou represents a district with a big Palestinian-American population. And it's getting pushback — from the right and left.
As noted last week, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh hasn't ruled out a challenge to Pou. Yesterday, Sayegh's wife, Farhanna, asked her Facebook followers to 'flood' Pou's office with phone calls.
'While we struggle to pay our taxes and wait far too long for critical infrastructure repairs, our congresswoman Nellie Pou is off on a 'free' vacation to Israel,' she wrote. 'Last year, an estimated $22.8 BILLION of our hard-earned money went to military operations in Israel — fueling war crimes instead of fostering peace.'
The Israel visit comes at a time when news of starvation in Gaza and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to seize Gaza City have led to significant opposition from some Senate Democrats.
Pou is far from the New Jersey delegation's closest Israel ally. In a July 26 statement she called for increased humanitarian aid and a permanent ceasefire, citing 'deteriorating conditions and loss of innocent lives in Gaza.' She (and Conaway) also voted against this AIPAC-backed bill to sanction non-Americans who assist the International Criminal Court in prosecuting Israelis, even though almost half of New Jersey's Democratic delegation supported it.
Farhanna Sayegh's comments followed a critical social media post about the trip by Paterson Black Lives Matter activist Zellie Thomas, who told me he would ' love to see a primary against' the congresswoman 'so there can be a real debate around some of these issues and not have her believe that she's a shoo-in.'
Pou Campaign Manager Morghan Cyr in a statement called her trip a 'fact-finding mission' in which she spoke to both Israeli government and Palestinian Authority officials.
'In her interactions with Israeli government officials, she pressed them for details on getting more aid to Palestinians, for getting the hostages home safely, and for their plans for ending this war. She met with the UN World Food Programme and other aid distribution groups to discuss their aid distribution plan and urge them for immediate progress,' Cyr said. 'The Congresswoman's goals for the region remain unchanged: a two state solution allowing peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, release of all the remaining hostages, safe distribution of more humanitarian aid to Gaza, the removal of Hamas, and an immediate ceasefire so the hard work of rebuilding can begin.'
Pou is also facing criticism over Passaic County's water crisis. GOP opponent Billy Prempeh criticized her for being overseas 'chasing foreign donor points' instead of being in Washington to push for funding commitments.
FEEDBACK? Reach me at mfriedman@politico.com
WHERE'S MURPHY? In Trenton at 11:15 a.m. for the Sheila Oliver portrait unveiling
QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'When my children were growing up, I did not have an app to tell me where they were. But I'll tell you that I knew where they were, I knew who they were with, and I knew what they were doing. There is no excuse today not to know where your child is.' — Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer on Fox News, defending his town's ordinance to penalize parents for rowdy teens
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Anthony Attanasio, Parimal Garg, Nick Friedman, Charlie Kratovil
WHAT TRENTON MADE
1 SPILLER OF DIVERTED OPIOID FUNDS — 'Senior lawmaker looks to undo controversial budget diversion of opioid funds,' by NJ Spotlight News' Lilo H. Stainton: 'State Sen. Joe Vitale said he is now looking to claw back the opioid settlement funding the New Jersey Legislature diverted to four hospital systems as part of a raft of secretive, last-minute changes to the $59 billion state budget it approved in late June. … At that time, Vitale (D-Middlesex), the longtime chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, said that while hospitals play an important role in addiction response, shifting $45 million in 'dedicated' resources away from community-driven programs was an 'awful idea.' Vitale has led the Legislature's efforts to reduce the death and disease-spread that can result from addiction. 'I'd like to have the money restored for its original intention,' Vitale told NJ Spotlight News on Tuesday, noting that he is examining ways that could be done, including by working with the administration of Gov. Phil Murphy to identify $45 million elsewhere.'
WIND DOWN — 'New Jersey revokes approval for Atlantic Shores offshore wind farm; company calls it 'a pause',' by The Press of Atlantic City's Wayne Parry: 'New Jersey utility regulators on Wednesday canceled their preliminary approval of the Atlantic Shores offshore wind energy project as the industry continues to struggle with financial challenges and an all-out assault from President Donald Trump. But the company called the action 'a pause,' not necessarily the end of the project. The state Board of Public Utilities terminated the Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificate for Atlantic Shores, a proposed two-phase wind farm between Atlantic City and Barnegat Light with 197 wind turbines capable of powering 1 million homes. On June 4, Atlantic Shores asked the BPU to do so, saying the project is 'no longer viable' due to Trump's war on wind power and economic challenges facing the industry. But it also indicated it might seek to revive the project in the future, calling the cancellation 'a reset period.''
—'NJ board approves $100 in electric bill credits as prices soar'
—''This came out of the blue': Why firms are pushing back against New Jersey's proposed independent contractor rule'
—'Monmouth Republicans target proposed independent contractor rules'
—'Nearly 300 N.J. school bus companies failed to prove drivers were qualified, review finds'
— 'He tried to blame his mental health as a defense for DWI. This N.J. court shut him down'
—'Millions in federal opioid settlement funds remain unspent by these N.J. counties'
—'Amid NJ teacher shortage, young people aren't choosing that career. Here's what they say'
—Snowflack: 'Baraka: 'I'm always running''
—'What Jack Ciattarelli's latest endorsement says about his offshore wind platform'
TRUMP ERA
TRUMPED UP — 'Alina Habba isn't enforcing the law. She's Trump's political weapon,' by The Record's Charles Stile: 'The governor, as Politico New Jersey reported last week, retained two top-shelf lawyers … after Murphy was served with a subpoena as part of an investigation into New Jersey's 'sanctuary state' immigration policies. … Leading this spurious inquisition is the acting U.S. attorney-in-limbo for New Jersey, Alina Habba, the eager-to-please former personal lawyer to Trump who has turned the federal plaza in Newark into a circus. She is — or was, at least, when she was secure in the job — probing whether the 'sanctuary stat' policies interfered with Trump's immigration crackdown. But according to sources familiar with matter, the subpoena apparently was more concerned with the gaffe Murphy made before a left-wing group in February. Playing to the crowd, a puffed-up Murphy suggested to the audience that he might be sheltering an illegal immigrant at his Middletown home. He then dared the federal immigration authorities to try to get her. That annoyed Tom Homan, Trump's border czar and chief enforcer of the ICE raids. … It was a form of crowd-pleasing fabulism that probably overtook Murphy in the heat of the moment. (If telling tall tales were a crime, most of the Trump administration would be on a supervised work-release program.)'
—'Trump's unpredictable tariffs pressure Jersey Shore pizzerias, shops, manufacturers'
LOCAL
MARTY SMALL — 'Atlantic City mayor, wife were recorded by daughter amid alleged abuse. What was said,' by The Courier-Post's Jim Walsh: 'An unseen witness listened in during alleged acts of child abuse at the home of Atlantic City's mayor and his wife, according to a recent court decision. It said the couple's 16-year-old daughter maintained a covert online connection with her boyfriend, allowing them to secretly record audio of angry comments of Mayor Marty Small Sr. and Superintendent La'Quetta Small, the city's school superintendent. 'Don't make me hurt you,' a man's voice said in one recording. … 'Like every day, like we, we on pins and needles in our own house,' he said in one recording from December 2023. 'We can't even have a conversation with you without worrying about who's on the other end listening.' He also expressed frustration with his daughter in a conversation that month, saying'"she will make (him) go to jail.' The Smalls' attorneys, who could not be reached for comment, sought to have the recordings barred from evidence at the upcoming trials. … The prosecutor's office also asserted that exceptions allowed juveniles to consent to a wiretap. [Judge Bernard] DeLury ruled for the prosecution in a July 30 decision covering 13 recordings and images.'
—'State finance board approves Atlantic City budget but warns of future tax increases'
SEARCHING FOR ROBERT FISHER — 'Recall of Park Ridge school board member attending Vanderbilt may be on November ballot,' by The Record's Stephanie Noda: 'A campaign to recall a Park Ridge Board of Education member who is attending school in Tennessee has reached enough signatures to be placed on the November ballot. Sabrina Taranto, Elections Division supervisor at the Bergen County clerk's office, said Tuesday that a recall committee's petition to recall Robert Fisher Jr. received 2,141 signatures, which is more than the minimum requirement of 1,864 signatures … Fisher became one of New Jersey's youngest school board members ever when he was elected to the K-12 district's governing body as an 18-year-old in 2023, months after graduating from Park Ridge High School. He has since moved about 900 miles away to Nashville, Tennessee, to attend Vanderbilt University. Last month, Fisher said he intends to return to Park Ridge after graduation and has no plans to give up his seat. Contrary to complaints that he often misses school events, Fisher said he has spent 'thousands of dollars' making trips back home for meetings. One issue the recall committee raised last month during its campaign was that Fisher has missed '30% of board meetings in 2025''
BROKEN WATER MAIN CONSIDERS RUN FOR MAYOR — 'Water restored to growing numbers in Passaic County as utility installs huge new pipes,' by The Paterson Press' Joe Malinconico: 'Water service has returned to more than two-thirds of Paterson, although pressure levels in many places may be low and residents should still boil what they use, officials said on Aug. 13. Faucets remained dry in homes and businesses on hills or in elevated areas of Paterson, as well as for residents who live on the upper floors in high-rise apartment buildings, officials said. Meanwhile, many people in Haledon and North Haledon are still waiting to get their water turned fully back on and Prospect Park has a boil water advisory in effect, according to Jim Mueller, executive director of the Passaic Valley Water Commission.'
—'Neighboring towns help amid lingering water crisis in Paterson, surrounding area'
—'Nurse with brain injury after being hit by Paterson DPW truck gets $2.9M in settlement'
SACK BACKTRACK — 'Developers threaten legal action after Hackensack City Council rescinds financial deals,' by The Record's Megan Burrow: 'The City Council has rescinded three financial agreements with developers, over the objections of the builders who had signed the agreements with the previous city administration. The … payments in lieu of taxes … were passed by the previous council members in May and June, just before they were voted out of office. Mayor Caseen Gaines, whose slate, Hackensack Unites, swept the May election, defeating longtime Mayor John Labrosse and his ticket, said the builders are still welcome to develop the properties, but without the tax abatement in place … The redevelopment that has transformed the city's downtown in recent years was the chief issue in the municipal election, particularly the tax breaks given to builders to encourage development. Hackensack Unites, the winning ticket, campaigned on a promise to reexamine these tax abatements and whether they benefit city residents. Despite their defeat at the ballot box, Labrosse and his team granted three PILOTs just before leaving office … Attorneys for the developers threatened legal action and told council members the agreements signed by the former council were binding.'
NEW BRUNSWICK —'Attorney general investigating fatal shooting of New Brunswick woman by police,' by News 12: 'The New Jersey Attorney General's Office is investigating a fatal shooting by police that occurred Friday morning inside a senior housing complex in New Brunswick. Deborah Terrell, 67, was shot by a police officer in the hallway of Fricano Towers on Neilson Street. Officials say Terrell was Tased and pepper-sprayed before the officer fired his weapon. Police had responded to reports that she was walking around with a knife and threatening other residents.'
POLITICIAN UNDONE BY BAD POLEING — 'N.J. councilwoman admits she was driving drunk after smashing into utility pole,' by Matt Gray for NJ.com: 'A New Jersey councilwoman entered a guilty plea Tuesday to driving while intoxicated after her car struck a utility pole in Gloucester County earlier this year. Paulsboro Councilwoman Jennifer A. Turner, 68, was driving on South Delaware Street near Broad Street in the borough on Feb. 9 when her vehicle struck the pole around 11:30 p.m., according to borough police. Turner, who did not require medical attention, was issued citations for driving while intoxicated, refusal to submit to breath testing and careless driving, police said. The case was transferred to Monroe Township Municipal Court, where Turner entered a guilty plea to the DWI charge on Tuesday, a court official said.'
—'Galloway looking for carrots, sticks to deal with 'Greyhound therapy' homeless issue'
—'[Beach Haven] is fighting a potentially dangerous energy project in its backyard'
—'McGreevey, Solomon endorse same slate of Jersey City education candidates'
—'Olympic-sized event? Haledon set to welcome star wrestler Bruce Baumgartner'
EVERYTHING ELSE
BUT HE'S NOT A SCHOOL LIBRARIAN — 'Former N.J. pastor charged with sexual assault of children in Colorado,' by NJ Advance Media's Rebecca Heath: 'A Jersey City pastor who resigned in June has been charged with sexually assaulting two children while he was working as a youth pastor at an embattled Colorado church over two decades ago. Robert Anthony 'Tony' Langston, 60, who served as lead pastor at Tapestry Church in Jersey City, is accused of assaulting two members of Landmark Tabernacle in Denver. At least one incident occurred in 1998, and both victims were under the age of 15. … The victim continued to be 'groped and assaulted' by the pastor after following him to New Jersey, the affidavit states. There, Langston founded Tapestry Church with his wife 22 years ago. … [Victim friend Carolyn] Hoyt told NJ Advance Media the victim was 'very scared' to report the abuse because 'the church is very anti-homosexuality.''
— 'Woman survived 12 hours overnight floating in ocean off Sandy Hook after jet ski mishap,'
—'NJ Transit conductor had to fight off violent passenger with no police in sight, lawsuit claims'
—'Delaware's Ashley Biden, daughter of Joe Biden, to divorce South Jersey husband'
—'How could horse racing manager allegedly steal huge sums from Ocean Twp. boss? Details emerge'
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Yahoo
a minute ago
- Yahoo
As Democrats try to defend cities from Trump, have they learned their lesson on crime?
WASHINGTON – Talking about crime has long been an Achilles heel for Democrats, and they've continued to struggle with the issue at the national level during Donald Trump's second term, even as data shows violence decreasing in major U.S. cities. But changing the public's perception about crime will be imperative for the party going into the 2026 midterm elections and beyond, as Trump deploys the National Guard in cities such as Los Angeles, and most recently, Washington, D.C. Places like Baltimore and Chicago could be next, the president hinted. The mayors of those cities say they're ready to fight back by showing, rather than telling, how their cities have lowered crime. 'We are the ones that are closest to the people," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told USA TODAY. "We're the ones that's proven with the results, and we're the ones that know how to communicate in a way that people understand." More: National Guard in DC could carry weapons and detain people, Army says The administration's militarized crackdown in the nation's capital now presents Trump's liberal opponents with a significant test as national figures − including many who are tiptoeing into the shadow primary for president in 2028 − grasp at different messages to counter Trump's rhetoric and executive actions. Some have cast his claims about crime as a "distraction" while others have warned the National Guard deployments are a step toward "authoritarianism." "He was just getting warmed up in Los Angeles. He will gaslight his way into militarizing any city he wants in America. This is what dictators do," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in an Aug. 11 post on X. Other party leaders prefer to emphasize how much crime is coming down in those urban centers. Numbers don't speak loudly Yet, strategists and experts warn that simply citing data and statistics runs the risk appearing tone deaf, much in the way Democrats came off during the 2024 election, when voters repeatedly said they didn't feel inflation was decreasing fast enough in spite of positive trends. "So opposed to going to the statistics − which for some voters will feel like gaslighting: 'Well, maybe it's safer, but I heard gunshots outside of my window' − what Democrats can do is actually talk about investments they have made and what gains they have seen in making communities safer," said Insha Rahman of the Vera Institute of Justice, a research and advocacy organization. Without a clear national figurehead, however, that task largely falls to Democratic mayors, several of whom stressed that their cities are successfully combating violence. They said their party must apply the lessons learned from 2024 and show voters that metropolitan areas are not crime-ridden hell-holes. Mayors take the lead in spotlighting policies that make cities safer Democrats have to "stop being afraid" to talk about fighting crime, Scott said. That starts with forcefully combating GOP claims by spotlighting personal stories coupled with the significant investments that have helped lower crime rates, the mayors said. "Share the facts until you're blue in the face," said Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas. The Vera Institute's advocacy arm Vera Action, for example, assessed that the the GOP spent more than $1 billion attacking Democrats on crime and immigration in 2024, while Democrats spent roughly $319 million on advertisements that played up their public safety records. "We missed the mark, and now it's time for us to take the bullhorn ourselves and talk about the good work we're doing as mayors," said Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, who also serves as president of the Democratic Mayors' Association. "This is a narrative we can win.' Making that information resonate with voters, however, will be difficult. Many Americans often view crime through what they see in their neighborhoods or on local TV news, experts say, rather than academic studies and government reports. That has been a significant problem for Democrats as the party adapts to Trump's blitzing style, which is often propped up by administration officials and MAGA-aligned activists spotlighting individual acts of violence that startle most voters. In 2024 exit polling, Trump outperformed Kamala Harris by five points on the issue of crime. He hammered the former California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney as soft on violence and made misleading claims about the amount of crime the country experienced while she and former President Joe Biden were in office. Violent crime decreased nationwide by an estimated 3% in 2023 and fell by 4.5% in 2024, according to the FBI. Crime has continued to drop in most categories in a July study from the Council on Criminal Justice. Several of the cities called out by Trump − all with Black mayors − have seen significant dips in crime. They attribute the reduction in part to investments in youth programs and other policing alternatives. Mayor Bibb, in Cleveland, said he'd spoken to DNC Chair Ken Martin and other party leaders and they are of the same mindset: Democrats have to flood the country with what they are doing to improve public safety. Days before Trump seized control of law enforcement in Washington, D.C., the DNC cut an 8-minute video − dubbed "Mayors Get S--t Done" − featuring Bibb that showcased crime prevention programs across the country that have decreased homicides, expanded affordable housing, and reduced homelessness. "Data is one thing, but it's also making sure people feel and perceive the safety in their cities, and I know that it's something I'm focused on in Cleveland, and my counterparts across the country are focused on it as well, too," Bibb said. He noted homicides are down 30% in Cleveland in the first half of the year. Democrats say it's a distraction Democrats with higher political aspirations have focused their messages less on crime, and instead have clapped back by saying Trump's deployment in D.C. and threats to do so elsewhere are a distraction from unpopular parts of his tenure, such as healthcare cuts in Republicans' tax and spending bill or Jeffrey Epstein's case files. "Let's not lie to the public," Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a 2028 hopeful, said in an Aug. 11 post on X responding to Trump. "You and I both know you have no authority to take over Chicago. By the way, where are the Epstein files?" As roughly 800 guard members move into position across Washington, D.C., Trump pledged that his efforts will result in a "crime-free" city. "This is going to be a beacon, and it's going to also serve as an example of what can be done," Trump said on Aug. 13. He told reporters earlier this week that "other cities are hopefully watching" and will "self clean up" as a result. But in several metro areas that has already begun. As the Justice Department itself announced in January, total violent crime in Washington, D.C. for 2024 was down 35% from the year before. And in Chicago, long a Republican example of runaway disorder, violent crime is down 22% compared to the same period last year. This year has seen 110 fewer homicides than in the same period in 2024. Mayor Brandon Johnson, who took office in 2023, lives on the West Side of Chicago, where shootings and other violence have been a scourge. He said he understands why some residents feel crime remains prevalent. "I'm likely the first mayor in the history of Chicago to wake up in one of the most disinvested communities in Chicago, where trauma and violence has been pervasive − and at the same time we are experiencing a decrease in violence," the 49-year-old mayor told USA TODAY. "So I recognize the work has not necessarily caught up with people's feelings, but it doesn't take away the work that we have done," he said. In Chicago, for instance, Johnson's administration made a $40 million investment in July aimed at modernizing homeless shelters. He also touts other initiatives, such as the Peacekeepers Program, a $34.5 million state-funded effort that trains residents to help de-escalate community conflicts. Johnson said he will do everything possible "to ensure that our constitutional rights are protected" and hinted at legal action if Trump follows through on his threat against the Windy City. "We have to stand firm and stand up to the tyrannical reign of this tragic president," he said. Crime was also down in L.A. when Trump ordered the National Guard there to help quell anti-deportation protests in June. The city is at a 60-year low in homicides, and gang violence is down. The guard deployment to L.A. was "completely unnecessary," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in an interview. "In Los Angeles, we had 4,000 national guardsmen and women in our city, who had absolutely nothing to do. About 100 of them were used to guard two buildings, maybe 200, out of 4,000, and the rest sat around doing nothing, playing video games and missing work, school and their family.' Whether Trump can replicate the deployments could rest on the outcome of a case that's currently before a California court. The state is suing Trump over his National Guard deployment. Polling shows that when it comes to allegations of executive overreach, at least, the public is on local officials' side. A Quinnipiac poll taken in late June found that voters disapproved 55% to 43% of Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard in Los Angeles. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crime is down 20% in Chicago. Why is Trump threatening to invade?
USA Today
2 minutes ago
- USA Today
Trump approval rating round-up: Where does president stand in recent polls?
President Donald Trump's support among Americans dropped to near-record lows in a new national poll, the latest national survey released in the past 30 days giving Trump low marks. Pew Research Center's survey puts the president at a 38% approval rating, a nine-point drop from its early February poll at the beginning of his second term and three points down over the last two months. More than half (60%) say they disapprove of his job performance. Pollsters at Pew attribute the decline to "a combination of declining approval among his 2024 backers and adults who did not vote in November." Pew's survey was conducted Aug. 4-10 among 3,554 adults, and has a margin of error of ±1.8 percentage points. More on the Pew poll: Trump's approval rating dips again in new Pew survey, hits 38% It's the latest in a string of national surveys released in the past month giving Trump record-low numbers, following a 37% approval from a July 7-21 Gallup poll and a 40% approval rating from a Reuters/Ispos poll at the end of the month. A historical analysis by Gallup shows Trump's approval ratings in the first July of both of his terms are lower than those of any other modern president. Aggregations of recent approval polling from The New York Times and RealClearPolitics place Trump's approval between 44% and 45%, respectively, with a 53% and 51% disapproval, as of Aug. 14. Here's a round up of other recent polls: YouGov/Economist poll More than half of those surveyed said in the YouGov/Economist poll that the country was on the wrong track and dissatisfied with the way American democracy is working. When asked about the Texas redistricting crisis that has plagued the Lone Star state for nearly two weeks and sparked a race among Democrats and Republicans in other states to redraw their own congressional maps, opinion was similarly low. More than 2/3 said partisan gerrymandering should not be allowed, yet responses were more mixed when asked if it should be allowed in retaliation of another party redrawing their own maps, with 35% saying it's okay, and 30% disagreeing. Another 36% said they were not sure. The poll was conducted Aug. 9-11 among 1,635 U.S. adults. It has a has a margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points. Morning Consult poll Trump's approval rating remains at a second-term low for the Morning Consult poll, following the prior week's similiar numbers. Yet approval of the economy saw a slight uptick, with voters disapproving of Trump's handling of the economy and trade by 1-point margins, compared to 6- and 4-point dips in attitudes on each issue, respectively, in the previous survey. The poll was conducted Aug. 8-10 among 2,200 registered U.S. voters. It has a has a margin of error of ±2 percentage points. CNBC poll Among seven issues, Trump's handling of inflation and the cost of living notched the lowest ratings in the poll, with 37% approving and 60% disapproving − unchanged from its April survey and a five-point drop since the beginning of the year. Opinions on taxes and federal government spending were also underwater, at 40% and 38% approval each, followed by a 41% approval on the president's foreign policy. Trump's position on the southern border with Mexico was the most popular in the survey, collected a 53% positive response, while deportations and tariffs fell under the majority threshhold, with 49% and 45% approvals, respectively. The poll was conducted by Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies July 29-Aug. 3 among 1,000 adults. It has a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr.
USA Today
2 minutes ago
- USA Today
As Democrats try to defend cities from Trump, have they learned their lesson on crime?
Democratic mayors say they're successfully lowering crime, even as President Trump attacks their cities as dangerous and out of control. WASHINGTON – Talking about crime has long been an Achilles heel for Democrats, and they've continued to struggle with the issue at the national level during Donald Trump's second term, even as data shows violence decreasing in major U.S. cities. But changing the public's perception about crime will be imperative for the party going into the 2026 midterm elections and beyond, as Trump deploys the National Guard in cities such as Los Angeles, and most recently, Washington, D.C. Places like Baltimore and Chicago could be next, the president hinted. The mayors of those cities say they're ready to fight back by showing, rather than telling, how their cities have lowered crime. 'We are the ones that are closest to the people," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told USA TODAY. "We're the ones that's proven with the results, and we're the ones that know how to communicate in a way that people understand." The administration's militarized crackdown in the nation's capital now presents Trump's liberal opponents with a significant test as national figures − including many who are tiptoeing into the shadow primary for president in 2028 − grasp at different messages to counter Trump's rhetoric and executive actions. Some have cast his claims about crime as a "distraction" while others have warned the National Guard deployments are a step toward "authoritarianism." "He was just getting warmed up in Los Angeles. He will gaslight his way into militarizing any city he wants in America. This is what dictators do," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in an Aug. 11 post on X. Other party leaders prefer to emphasize how much crime is coming down in those urban centers. Numbers don't speak loudly Yet, strategists and experts warn that simply citing data and statistics runs the risk appearing tone deaf, much in the way Democrats came off during the 2024 election, when voters repeatedly said they didn't feel inflation was decreasing fast enough in spite of positive trends. "So opposed to going to the statistics − which for some voters will feel like gaslighting: 'Well, maybe it's safer, but I heard gunshots outside of my window' − what Democrats can do is actually talk about investments they have made and what gains they have seen in making communities safer," said Insha Rahman of the Vera Institute of Justice, a research and advocacy organization. Without a clear national figurehead, however, that task largely falls to Democratic mayors, several of whom stressed that their cities are successfully combating violence. They said their party must apply the lessons learned from 2024 and show voters that metropolitan areas are not crime-ridden hell-holes. Mayors take the lead in spotlighting policies that make cities safer Democrats have to "stop being afraid" to talk about fighting crime, Scott said. That starts with forcefully combating GOP claims by spotlighting personal stories coupled with the significant investments that have helped lower crime rates, the mayors said. "Share the facts until you're blue in the face," said Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas. The Vera Institute's advocacy arm Vera Action, for example, assessed that the the GOP spent more than $1 billion attacking Democrats on crime and immigration in 2024, while Democrats spent roughly $319 million on advertisements that played up their public safety records. "We missed the mark, and now it's time for us to take the bullhorn ourselves and talk about the good work we're doing as mayors," said Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, who also serves as president of the Democratic Mayors' Association. "This is a narrative we can win.' Making that information resonate with voters, however, will be difficult. Many Americans often view crime through what they see in their neighborhoods or on local TV news, experts say, rather than academic studies and government reports. That has been a significant problem for Democrats as the party adapts to Trump's blitzing style, which is often propped up by administration officials and MAGA-aligned activists spotlighting individual acts of violence that startle most voters. In 2024 exit polling, Trump outperformed Kamala Harris by five points on the issue of crime. He hammered the former California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney as soft on violence and made misleading claims about the amount of crime the country experienced while she and former President Joe Biden were in office. Violent crime decreased nationwide by an estimated 3% in 2023 and fell by 4.5% in 2024, according to the FBI. Crime has continued to drop in most categories in a July study from the Council on Criminal Justice. Several of the cities called out by Trump − all with Black mayors − have seen significant dips in crime. They attribute the reduction in part to investments in youth programs and other policing alternatives. Mayor Bibb, in Cleveland, said he'd spoken to DNC Chair Ken Martin and other party leaders and they are of the same mindset: Democrats have to flood the country with what they are doing to improve public safety. Days before Trump seized control of law enforcement in Washington, D.C., the DNC cut an 8-minute video − dubbed "Mayors Get S--t Done" − featuring Bibb that showcased crime prevention programs across the country that have decreased homicides, expanded affordable housing, and reduced homelessness. "Data is one thing, but it's also making sure people feel and perceive the safety in their cities, and I know that it's something I'm focused on in Cleveland, and my counterparts across the country are focused on it as well, too," Bibb said. He noted homicides are down 30% in Cleveland in the first half of the year. Democrats say it's a distraction Democrats with higher political aspirations have focused their messages less on crime, and instead have clapped back by saying Trump's deployment in D.C. and threats to do so elsewhere are a distraction from unpopular parts of his tenure, such as healthcare cuts in Republicans' tax and spending bill or Jeffrey Epstein's case files. "Let's not lie to the public," Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a 2028 hopeful, said in an Aug. 11 post on X responding to Trump. "You and I both know you have no authority to take over Chicago. By the way, where are the Epstein files?" As roughly 800 guard members move into position across Washington, D.C., Trump pledged that his efforts will result in a "crime-free" city. "This is going to be a beacon, and it's going to also serve as an example of what can be done," Trump said on Aug. 13. He told reporters earlier this week that "other cities are hopefully watching" and will "self clean up" as a result. But in several metro areas that has already begun. As the Justice Department itself announced in January, total violent crime in Washington, D.C. for 2024 was down 35% from the year before. And in Chicago, long a Republican example of runaway disorder, violent crime is down 22% compared to the same period last year. This year has seen 110 fewer homicides than in the same period in 2024. Mayor Brandon Johnson, who took office in 2023, lives on the West Side of Chicago, where shootings and other violence have been a scourge. He said he understands why some residents feel crime remains prevalent. "I'm likely the first mayor in the history of Chicago to wake up in one of the most disinvested communities in Chicago, where trauma and violence has been pervasive − and at the same time we are experiencing a decrease in violence," the 49-year-old mayor told USA TODAY. "So I recognize the work has not necessarily caught up with people's feelings, but it doesn't take away the work that we have done," he said. In Chicago, for instance, Johnson's administration made a $40 million investment in July aimed at modernizing homeless shelters. He also touts other initiatives, such as the Peacekeepers Program, a $34.5 million state-funded effort that trains residents to help de-escalate community conflicts. Johnson said he will do everything possible "to ensure that our constitutional rights are protected" and hinted at legal action if Trump follows through on his threat against the Windy City. "We have to stand firm and stand up to the tyrannical reign of this tragic president," he said. Crime was also down in L.A. when Trump ordered the National Guard there to help quell anti-deportation protests in June. The city is at a 60-year low in homicides, and gang violence is down. The guard deployment to L.A. was "completely unnecessary," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in an interview. "In Los Angeles, we had 4,000 national guardsmen and women in our city, who had absolutely nothing to do. About 100 of them were used to guard two buildings, maybe 200, out of 4,000, and the rest sat around doing nothing, playing video games and missing work, school and their family.' Whether Trump can replicate the deployments could rest on the outcome of a case that's currently before a California court. The state is suing Trump over his National Guard deployment. Polling shows that when it comes to allegations of executive overreach, at least, the public is on local officials' side. A Quinnipiac poll taken in late June found that voters disapproved 55% to 43% of Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard in Los Angeles.
