CNN's Abby Phillip gives Trump new nickname
'He's taking over Washington's police force,' she further complained. 'It is a move that the DC mayor is calling unsettling and unprecedented.' Phillip argued Trump was 'painting [the situation] as an emergency' without much proof.
Onlookers on X appeared more interested in her earlier remarks. Conservative pundit Steve Guest thought the comparison to DC's caped crusader made Trump look 'cool' - even if it was not 'Abby's intention at all.' The conservative media watchdog group Media Research Center's investigation team, Newsbusters, added: 'Does she know that makes him sound awesome?'
Others embraced the epithet with memes, including some showing Trump in costume as the comic book character. 'I already voted for him! You don't have to keep convincing me!' Libs Of TikTok's X account joked.
'Yall really trying to make @realDonaldTrump look even more [expletive] aren't you @abbydphillip?' asked someone else. Others shared a clip of a 2015 interaction between a then campaigning Trump and a young boy on his helicopter.
'Are you Batman?' the boy asked. 'I am Batman,' the soon-to-be president said in response.
The rest of the CNN NewsNight discussion revolved around crime in Washington, which Phillip said was 'at a 30-year low.' Still, DC's murder rate is high - seventh in the nation when looking at cities with 250,000 or more citizens .
The municipality has also been plagued by an uptick in violent crimes seen since 2020 - a year where there was a 30 percent increase in murders nationwide. Shoplifting crimes and attacks on government employees have persisted in the Capital ever since. They reached a post-pandemic peak in 2023.
Crime has fallen in DC each year since. Trump has continued to highlight the 2023 spike as proof DC's police force needs to be under government control. Members of the National Guard were given orders to report to their stations on Tuesday morning. Trump signed an order summoning them the day before.
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The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
DC Mayor Bowser walks delicate line with Trump, reflecting the city's precarious position
As National Guard troops deploy across her city as part of President Donald Trump 's efforts to clamp down on crime, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is responding with relative restraint. She's called Trump's takeover of the city's police department and his decision to activate 800 members of the guard ' unsettling and unprecedented ' and gone as far as to cast his efforts as part of an 'authoritarian push.' But Bowser has so far avoided the kind of biting rhetoric and personal attacks typical of other high-profile Democratic leaders, despite the unprecedented incursion into her city. Instead, she is cooperating with the administration's efforts, including having city workers clear homeless encampments, as Trump has demanded. 'While this action today is unsettling and unprecedented, I can't say that, given some of the rhetoric of the past, that we're totally surprised,' Bowser told reporters at a press conference responding to the efforts. She even suggested the surge in resources might benefit the city. 'The fact that we have more law enforcement and presence in neighborhoods, that may be positive,' she said. Bowser argued her hands were largely tied, noting that limited home rule allows the federal government 'to intrude on our autonomy in many ways," and defended her approach. 'My tenor will be appropriate for what I think is important for the District. And what's important for the District is that we can take care of our citizens," she said. The approach underscores the reality of Washington's precarious position under the thumb of the federal government. Trump has repeatedly threatened an outright takeover of the overwhelmingly Democratic city, which is granted autonomy through a limited home rule agreement passed in 1973 that could be repealed by Congress. Republicans, who control both chambers, have already frozen more than a $1 billion in local spending, slashing the city's budget. That puts her in a very different position from figures such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom or Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Democrats whose states depend on the federal government for disaster relief and other funding, but who have nonetheless relentlessly attacked the current administration as they lay the groundwork for potential 2028 presidential runs. Those efforts come amid deep frustrations from Democratic voters that their party has not been nearly aggressive enough in its efforts to counter Trump's actions. 'Unfortunately she is in a very vulnerable position,' said Democratic strategist Nina Smith. 'This is the sort of thing that can happen when you don't have the powers that come with being a state. So that's what we're seeing right now, the mayor trying to navigate a very tough administration. Because this administration has shown no restraint when it comes to any kind of constitutional barriers or norms." Working together The impact on the city has been swift. On Wednesday, agents from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with members of the National Guard, joined Metropolitan Police Department officers on patrol across city neighborhoods, drawing protests from angry residents. And on Thursday, city workers began clearing homeless encampments — a move Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Wayne Turnage said was taken after his office was notified by the National Park Service that federal agents would begin closing all encampments in the city, both on federal and District lands. He said that since the city has more social services resources than the federal government, he felt it was better for the city to do the job 'the way it should be done.' 'Closing encampments is a very, very complex process,' he said. 'We're dealing with human beings who, in many cases, have been marginalized. Their lives are being disrupted. And so we have put a process in place that we think respects that.' A change from Trump's first term Bowser's approach marks a departure from Trump's first term, when she was far more antagonistic toward the president. Then she routinely clashed with the administration, including having city workers paint giant yellow letters spelling out 'Black Lives Matter' on a street near the White House during the George Floyd protests in 2020. This time around, Bowser took a different tack from the start. She flew to Florida to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago after he won the election and has worked to avoid conflict and downplay points of contention, including tearing up the 'Black Lives Matter' letters after he returned to Washington in response to pressure from Republicans in Congress. The change reflects the new political dynamics at play, with Republicans in control of Congress and an emboldened Trump who has made clear he is willing to exert maximum power and push boundaries in unprecedented ways. D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson said she understands Bowser's position, and largely agrees with her conclusion that a legal challenge to Trump's moves would be a long shot. Trump invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act in his executive order, declaring a 'crime emergency' so his administration could take over the city's police force. The statue limits that control to 30 days unless he gets approval from Congress. 'The challenge would be on the question of 'Is this actually an emergency?'' said Henderson, a former congressional staffer. 'That's really the only part you could challenge.' Henderson believes the city would face dim prospects in a court fight, but thinks the D.C. government should challenge anyway, 'just on the basis of precedent.' Trump told reporters Wednesday that he believes he can extend the 30-day deadline by declaring a national emergency, but said "we expect to be before Congress very quickly.' 'We're gonna be asking for extensions on that, long-term extensions, because you can't have 30 days," he said. 'We're gonna do this very quickly. But we're gonna want extensions. I don't want to call a national emergency. If I have to, I will.' Limited legal options As mayor of the District of Columbia, Bowser has a very different relationship with the president and federal government than other mayors or governors. The city is home to thousands of federal workers, and the mass layoffs under DOGE have already had a major impact on the city's economy. Bowser's response is a reflection of the reality of the situation, according to a person familiar with her thinking. Her strategy has been to focus on finding areas where she and the new administration can work together on shared priorities. For now, Bowser appears set to stick with her approach, saying Wednesday that she is focused on 'making sure the federal surge is useful to us.' During a Wednesday morning interview with Fox 5, she and the city's police chief said an influx of federal agents linked to Trump's takeover would improve public safety, with more officers on patrol. Police chief Pamela Smith said the city's police department is short almost 800 officers, so the extra police presence 'is clearly going to impact us in a positive way.' But Nina Smith, the Democratic strategist, said she believes Bowser needs a course correction. 'How many times is it going to take before she realizes this is not someone who has got the best interests of the city at heart?" she asked. 'I think there may need to be time for her to get tough and push back.' ___ Associated Press writers Ashraf Khalil and Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Washington homeless encampments clear out in anticipation of Trump crackdown
National Guard troops and Humvees guarded some Washington landmarks Thursday and advocacy organizations helped clear homeless encampments in advance of an anticipated crackdown as President Donald Trump 's takeover of city police ramped up. The multiagency flood of federal law enforcement ordered by the Republican president to tackle crime in the nation's capital has become increasingly high profile, with officers setting up a checkpoint Wednesday night in one of D.C.'s popular nightlife areas, drawing protests. The White House said 45 arrests were made Wednesday night, including 29 arrests of people living in the country illegally, including for distribution or possession of drugs, carrying a concealed weapon and assaulting a federal officer. Troops were stationed outside the Union Station transportation hub as the 800 Guard members who have been activated by Trump start in on missions that include monument security, community safety patrols and beautification efforts, the Pentagon said. 'They will remain until law and order has been restored in the District as determined by the president, standing as the gatekeepers of our great nation's capital,' Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said. 'The National Guard is uniquely qualified for this mission as a community-based force with strong local ties and disciplined training.' Wilson said the troops won't be armed and declined to give more details on what the safety patrols or beautification efforts would entail or how many Guard members have already been sent out on the streets. National Guard Major Micah Maxwell said troops will assist law enforcement in a variety of roles, including traffic control posts and crowd control. The Guard members have been trained in deescalation tactics and crowd control equipment, Maxwell said. The White House said Thursday that Guard members aren't making arrests but are 'protecting federal assets, providing a safe environment for law enforcement officers to make arrests, and deterring violent crime with a visible law enforcement presence.' Meanwhile, about a dozen unhoused residents in Washington packed up their belongings with help from volunteers from some city agencies. Items largely were not forcibly thrown out by law enforcement, but a garbage truck idled nearby. Several protesters held signs close by, some critical of the Trump administration. Once the residents had left, a construction vehicle from a city agency cleared through the remains of the tents. Advocates expected law enforcement officers to fan out across D.C. later Thursday to take down any remaining homeless encampments. For two days, small groups of federal officers have been visible in scattered parts of the city. But more were present in high-profile locations Wednesday night, and troops were expected to start doing more missions Thursday. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations have patrolled the popular U Street corridor, while Drug Enforcement Administration officers were seen on the National Mall, with Guard members parked nearby. DEA agents also joined Metropolitan Police Department officers on patrol in the Navy Yard neighborhood, while FBI agents stood along the heavily trafficked Massachusetts Avenue. ___
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
3 people charged with helping suspected killer of 4 are accused of giving him shelter, phones
Three people charged with helping a Tennessee man accused of fatally shooting four people are suspected of providing him with shelter, phones and rides as he evaded authorities after the killings, a prosecutor said Thursday. Austin Robert Drummond made a brief court appearance before a judge by video feed Thursday in the rural city of Tiptonville in west Tennessee. Drummond has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of the parents, grandmother and uncle of an infant found abandoned in a home's front yard. A weeklong search for Drummond ended Aug. 5 in Jackson, about 70 miles (115 kilometers) southeast of the crime scene in Tiptonville. Lake County District Attorney Danny Goodman has said prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty if Drummond is convicted of first-degree murder at trial. Also appearing in court by video feed were Tanaka Brown and Dearrah Sanders, who have been charged with being accessories after the fact. Both have pleaded not guilty. A third person charged with being an accessory after the fact, Giovonte Thomas, did not make a court appearance Thursday. It is not immediately clear if Thomas has entered a plea. Judge Andrew Cook set a Sept. 4 preliminary hearing for Drummond to determine if there is enough evidence to refer his case to a grand jury. Drummond's lawyer declined comment after the hearing. Cook also scheduled preliminary hearings for Brown and Sanders on Sept. 12. After the hearing, the district attorney told reporters that those charged with helping Drummond are suspected of giving him phones, clothes, shelter and rides. Goodman did not disclose a motive for the killings. In a previous hearing, Drummond told the judge that he wants a speedy trial, but Goodman said it could be a year or more before Drummond could face a jury. 'It's a serious matter,' Goodman said, adding later that 'there's a lot of evidence in the case to pull together.' The killings and the ensuing search set rural areas of west Tennessee on edge for days. Officers responded to a call of an infant in a car seat being dropped at a 'random individual's front yard' on July 29 in the Tigrett area, roughly 40 miles (65 kilometers) from Tiptonville, the Dyer County Sheriff's Office said. Then, investigators in neighboring Lake County reported that four people had been found dead from gunshot wounds in Tiptonville. Officials determined they were the baby's parents, James M. Wilson, 21, and Adrianna Williams, 20; Williams' brother, Braydon Williams, 15; and their mother, Cortney Rose, 38. The four victims hadn't been seen since the night before their bodies were discovered in a wooded area, Goodman has said. Drummond is believed to have targeted them, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said. Goodman has said Drummond's girlfriend is the sister of the infant's grandmother. Drummond has served prison time for robbing a convenience store and threatening to go after jurors. He was also charged with the attempted murder of a prison guard while behind bars, and was out on bond at the time of the killings, Goodman said. Mississippi River and scenic Reelfoot Lake.
