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New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Trump's war on DC crime: Letters to the Editor — Aug. 15, 2025
The Issue: President Trump's deployment of the National Guard in Washington, DC, to curb crime. President Trump is an absolute genius ('Historic rescue for DC,' Aug. 12). Since the left has to be against anything he does, the insane Democrats now find themselves on the side of the carjackers, gangbangers and street thugs in Washington, DC. Word on the street is that Michelle and Barack Obama are very concerned about Trump's actions as they observe the shenanigans from their lily-white neighborhood on Nantucket. Jake McNicholas Whitestone The president has had enough of lawbreakers in the capital. It's time to take back control of the city from criminals who terrorize its citizens. Trump has created a template for combating crime. New York and Chicago should take notice, along with a few other cities who let lawbreakers rule the streets with hard-working people living in fear of being victims of violent crime. Joseph Comperchio Brooklyn I love these 'Free DC' protests in Washington, organized by groups that receive dark money from the Soros 'philanthropies' and other left-leaning groups that resent the United States and want to see it destroyed. Today's protesters are nothing but useful idiots. It's the only way to describe people who protest against controlling crime. Mindy Rader New City I applaud President Trump's measures to crack down on crime in Washington, DC, but this show of force will only be temporarily effective if recidivism isn't addressed. You can arrest every single bad guy in DC, but if the courts turn them loose, you'll be right back where you started. It seems like a pretty simple solution to incarcerate the people who repeatedly commit crimes, but lax laws and liberal judges work against this common-sense notion. This stupidity is not unique to DC, and until judicial reform is adopted in crime-plagued cities, we will continue the inane cycle of putting incorrigible people through a broken system over and over again. Thomas Urban Wantagh Trump's dirty restaurant analogy is a sound one. If Washington's streets and public places are unkempt and unsafe, who will want to go there? There are unparalleled architectural and historical sites, museums and world-class restaurants. Until people can return in peace to visit and enjoy them, the task will not be complete. Ira Cohen Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters As long as there are liberal judges, prosecutors, politicians and voters who don't believe in accountability, consequences and punishment for criminals, crime will flourish. The ultimate injustice is protecting criminals at the expense of victims. Liberals who aim to defund and handcuff the police bear enormous responsibility for crime and anarchy in our cities. President Trump is doing what liberals are unwilling to do: protecting the people of Washington, DC. Joe Zeloof Hamilton, NJ Finally, we have a president who won't be oblivious to the general breakdown of law and order in our big cities. His takeover of the DC police department and activation of the National Guard to back it up are positive steps toward restoring safety to the District of Columbia. It won't be long before the clueless loonies hoot and holler about this action. When they do, we need to remember this: Whatever Trump does, whatever he says, the hapless left will always, without exception, react in a negative fashion without providing an ounce of a remedy. Frank Olivieri North Ft. Myers, Fla. When President Trump gleefully told the nation that DC police officers and National Guard troopers will now be allowed to 'do whatever the hell they want,' did he mean that he is authorizing them to stand in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue and shoot somebody? Richard Siegelman Plainview Too bad Trump can't 'free' other crime-ridden cities like Chicago, San Francisco and New York. The Democrats are hallucinating as usual. They think all is well when it's not. Brenda Hodgkiss Atlantic Highlands, NJ Want to weigh in on today's stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to letters@ Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Left-wing dark-money megadonors, including George Soros, fund group organizing protests against Trump's DC crime crackdown
Several lefty, dark money organizations, including George Soros', contributed more than $20 million to groups funding protests against President Trump's crime crackdown in Washington, DC. Free DC, a 'fiscally sponsored special project' of progressive nonprofits Community Change and Community Change Action, brought 150 demonstrators near the White House Monday to protest Trump's plan to deploy National Guard troops in the district and federalize the city's police department. 'Do not obey in advance' and 'Take up space' are among Free DC's 'guiding principles,' and the group urges supporters to 'go outside at 8:00 PM and bang pots and pans, sing, chant, or make noise for five minutes' every night 'of this occupation.' Advertisement Free DC has scheduled multiple events since Monday's anti-Trump protest, including a 'Cop Watch Training,' suggesting further protests are planned amid Trump's effort to make DC the 'safest, cleanest and most beautiful cities anywhere in the world' – by ramping up law enforcement efforts and removing homeless encampments from public places. 3 Free DC has called for protests every night 'of this occupation.' REUTERS Community Change and Community Change Action, the groups bankrolling Free DC's activism campaign, have been the beneficiaries of millions of dollars in donations from hedge-fund tycoon George Soros' Open Society Foundations and Tides Foundation, and the dark-money Arabella Advisors network, according to an analysis shared with The Post. Advertisement 'It is ironic that a protest to ostensibly 'Free DC' was hosted by Community Change, a group funded by massive amounts of outside dark money to push a pro-crime agenda,' Caitlin Sutherland, the executive director of nonprofit watchdog Americans for Public Trust, said in a statement. 'DC is facing shootings, carjackings, and assaults, and yet progressive groups like The Pritzker Foundation, George Soros, and the Arabella Network all spend millions of dollars to manufacture protests that weaken our communities,' Sutherland added. In 2023 alone, Community Change and Community Change Action received $4 million from Soros' Open Society Foundations, $680,000 from the Arabella network, and $145,000 from the Tides Foundation, Americans for Public Trust found in publicly available financial disclosures. Arabella Advisors, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm, manages several funds that finance left-wing groups, including the Sixteen Thirty Fund, Windward Fund, New Venture Fund, which have all given money to Community Change and Community Change Action since 2020. Advertisement Similarly, Soros' Open Society Foundations and Tides Foundation and Tides Advocacy (part of the billionaires' Tides Network) are far-left grantmaking organizations. 3 Free DC is project of two Soros-backed progressive groups. AFP/Getty Images 3 Free DC organized a protest against Trump's order in district on Monday. AP Between 2020-2023, Community Change and Community Change Action received $12.6 million from Open Society Foundation, $5.6 million from the Arabella network, and $1.9 million from the Tides network – under numerous grants labeled for such purposes as 'civil rights, social action, advocacy' and 'social welfare activities.' Advertisement Additionally, Community Change received $1 million across 2021 and 2022 from Future Forward USA Action, a Democratic Party-aligned super PAC affiliated with Future Forward PAC – one of the major political groups that backed former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. It's unclear how much of this money has been directly used by Free DC, which says on its website it began organizing in 2023, in response to a congressional effort to block a controversial update to DC's criminal code. Free DC and Community Change did not respond to The Post's requests for comment.
Eater
3 days ago
- Politics
- Eater
José Andrés: ‘D.C. Doesn't Need Federalized Troops'
National Guard troops officially reported for duty in the nation's capital today, here to carry out President Donald Trump's order to address what he calls a 'crime emergency' in D.C. The president's shocking move that federalizes the city's Metropolitan Police Department has one big-name celebrity chef up in arms. José Andrés candidly condemned the president's unprecedented decision to send in the Army's National Guard to the same city where he opened his first restaurant, Jaleo, over 30 years ago. 'I'm proud to run a business and raise a family here,' wrote Andrés, in a Monday night social media post that's since gained over 50,000 likes. 'D.C. doesn't need federalized troops…it needs leaders who respect our fundamental founding principles of democracy, dignity, and respect.' During his White House press conference on Monday morning, Trump claims D.C. has been 'taken over by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals' as well as 'drugged out maniacs and homeless people.' D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser bit back hours later, saying crime 'isn't just down from 2023 — it's also down from 2019, before the pandemic,' and violent crime itself is at a 30-year low. The restaurant industry stood in solidarity with Andrés and his statement on Instagram, with supportive comments flowing in from Delaware's fine dining spot One Coastal and California chef Emily Brubaker, the recently crowned winner of NBC's 'Yes, Chef!' cooking show he hosted with Martha Stewart. The global humanitarian and cookbook author, whose namesake hospitality group currently runs over 30 restaurants around the globe, has a storied history with the Trump administration that goes back a decade ago. After the then-presidential candidate made inflammatory remarks about immigrants, the Spanish American chef pulled his planned restaurant inside his Trump International Hotel. (The 263-room, clocktower-topped hotel along Pennsylvania Avenue NW later flipped into a Waldorf Astoria and welcomed his luxe Bazaar by José Andrés in 2023.) While other local chefs aren't saying much right now, at least one D.C. restaurant is openly endorsing the anti-Trump discourse. Miami-born Pikio Taco, the hip Mexican spot located in Dupont's Generator hotel, is hosting a last-minute comedy show on Thursday, August 14 to benefit 'two local organizations who are doing critical work' in the space: Free DC Project and Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network. Free DC hosted an informational Zoom meeting at 10 a.m. today to talk about its grassroots campaign. Over 600 participants were split into breakout groups to brainstorm ways to galvanize communities in each of their D.C. wards. One popular plan is to distribute Free DC marketing materials to restaurants and other businesses that they can display inside and out. During his White House briefing on Monday, Trump tried to justify the federal takeover by reciting a metaphor his real estate-developer dad used to say. 'When you walk into a restaurant and you see a dirty front door, don't go in — because if the front door is dirty, the kitchen's dirty also. Same thing with [D.C.]. If our capital's dirty, our whole country is dirty.' The 800 troops in town were told they will be deployed here for about six weeks, until Thursday, September 25. The timing could not be worse for D.C.'s restaurant scene, which already experiences a slump in sales this time of year when many of its residents go on vacation. The troops will very much be on the streets during RAMW's bi-annual restaurant week (August 18-24), when more than 350 restaurants across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia offer prix fixe deals to boost business. It remains unclear how the National Guard's presence will impact parking and customers' desire to dine out. Last night around dinnertime, hours before the National Guard arrived, streets appeared particularly sparse – even for a summer Monday night in D.C. Eater DC All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Morocco World
3 days ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
Trump Deploys National Guard in Washington DC for ‘Public Safety Emergency'
Casablanca – US President Donald Trump announced on Monday his decision to place Washington DC's police force under direct federal control and deploy the National Guard to the city, describing the move as a 'historic action' to tackle crime and homelessness. Speaking from the White House, Trump invoked a rarely used provision of the DC Home Rule Act to justify the federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department, a measure that usually lasts 48 hours but which the president suggested could be extended. 'This is Liberation Day in DC, and we're going to take our capital back,' Trump declared, accusing local authorities and prosecutors of being too lenient. The decision comes despite data showing violent crime in Washington dropped to a 30-year low in 2024. The city's Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser, has pushed back strongly, saying: 'We are not experiencing a crime spike.' Trump said his administration would remove homeless encampments from the city, relocating people to areas 'far from the capital' and providing 'places to stay.' Critics say such measures echo his immigration policies, including mass deportations and military deployments in US cities. Read also: LA Police Crack Down on Pro-Immigration Protests Accompanied by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, FBI Director Kash Patel, and newly appointed US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro, Trump vowed an aggressive law enforcement campaign allegedly targeting gangs, drug dealers, and organized crime. Mayor Bowser has argued that the conditions required for such federal intervention do not currently exist. With the 2024 crime figures showing historic lows, Trump's unprecedented action appears as much a political statement of force as a security measure. 'We won't take this sitting down' Many locals in alarm are pushing back against the maneuver, including the FreeDC activist group, which is organizing a series of demonstrations to push back against what they call a police 'occupation' of their city. Samantha Millar, a FreeDC member and long-time resident of DC shared her perspective on Trump's recent crackdown. 'DC has been through so much as a city – the people here are used to fighting for rights. The national guard has been deployed two times just in the seven or so years that I've been here,' she told Morocco World News. 'That's not to say this isn't a clear sign of an authoritarian power grab, but it is to say that I have immense pride, faith and respect for my DC friends and neighbors. We won't take this sitting down.'
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Red meat to throw to his base': DC residents on Trump's police takeover
As Donald Trump convened reporters at the White House on Monday morning to announce his plans for sending the national guard on to Washington DC streets and taking over the police department, protesters gathered a block away to denounce what they saw as his plans to put the federal district under his thumb. 'Nothing Trump is doing right now is about our safety,' Keya Chatterjee, executive director of Free DC, a group advocating for the city's autonomy, told the 200 or so people gathered on a block of 16th Street Northwest that had once been called Black Lives Matter Plaza, before the city government ordered the name stripped shortly after Trump's inauguration this year. 'What we know from history is that authoritarians always want to control the capital and the people in the capital city. It's because it's the fastest way to silence dissent and to accelerate their agenda. And I want to be clear, this is not about crime. This is about what Trump is trying to do to DC in order to take over DC and silence us.' Lamont Mitchell was not so sure. A lifelong Washingtonian who resides among the poorer and more crime-stricken neighborhoods east of the Anacostia river, he regarded Trump's plans for the homeless as 'inhumane', but was open to his ideas for making the city's streets safer. Mitchell described how he avoids certain areas on his drive home for fear of being struck by a stray bullet, no longer walks down certain blocks, had his RV stolen and plans to buy a gun. 'As a senior in Washington, I need to feel safe,' said 69-year-old Mitchell, who chairs the Anacostia Coordinating Council community organization. 'We gotta take drastic action when drastic action is called for.' The overwhelmingly Democratic federal district is the latest American city to which Trump has deployed troops since taking office, after sending active-duty marines and national guard into Los Angeles in June to quell protests over immigration enforcement. This time, the foe is crime that the president argues is 'out of control', and the catalyst is the attack of a staffer from the 'department of government efficiency' in a relatively safe neighborhood earlier this month. Mayor Muriel Bowser has called Trump's intervention 'unsettling and unprecedented', as well as unwarranted. City leaders have pointed to statistics that show crimes such as robbery, homicide and assault with a deadly weapon are down, and violent crime hit a 30-year low in 2024. Yet Washington continues to struggle with rates of violent crime that are higher than cities with similar populations, according to the Real-Time Crime Index from AH Datalytics. Residents are used to hearing reports of violence, though much of it occurs in the city's poorer, majority Black eastern third, far from the museums and monuments of the National Mall. They are also used to seeing a lot of police – about 50 law enforcement agencies are already in Washington DC, ranging from the citywide Metropolitan police department (MPD) to the obscure zoo police, FBI police and Federal Reserve police, which provide security around specific agencies. National guard troops and agents from the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) are now expected to be on the streets along those officers, but residents are unsure whether they will make much difference. 'I tend to be pretty cynical about what the Trump administration is doing right now. This seems pretty clearly just like red meat to throw to his base, this announcement on a Monday,' said Brian Strege, a neighborhood commissioner in Navy Yard, where groups of young people have appeared repeatedly over the summer, shooting off fireworks and harassing bystanders. 'I get the sense it's just going to be a lot of bored national guard troops wandering around the city.' Trump made mention of the disturbances in Navy Yard during his White House press conference, but Strege said the city had already taken steps to stop the disorder, including by instituting a night-time curfew this summer for people under 18. Trump plans to take over the police department for 30 days – right around the time schools resume, and Strege said the teenagers typically stop showing up. 'Thirty days from now is going to be September. Our juvenile crime is likely to decrease, because it always does. So, it sounds like they're going to pretend that it went down because they did this big deployment,' he said. 'I don't see it helping really at all. I think our police force has actually been doing a pretty good job over the past few years.' Last Saturday night saw more teenagers flood Navy Yard, as well as a shooting. The following day, Edward Daniels, another neighborhood commissioner in the area, saw Ice agents patrolling the street, and at one point stopping some teenagers from riding bikes, which others had used in the past to harass people. Their presence, he said, didn't make him feel safe, but rather concerned – did these agents know how to patrol a city? Were they coordinating with the police department? 'It's going to make things even more chaotic here and cause what I believe to be even more dangerous situations than what we've seen here on the ground,' he said. Across the Anacostia river, Sandra Seegars, a longtime anti-crime activist, welcomed Trump's announcement. Her Congress Heights neighborhood has one of the highest homicide rates in the city, according to police data, and she was pleased to hear from a friend that federal agents had been spotted in a nearby park. 'He's going to make me feel safer,' Seegars said of Trump's deployment. 'I think he's doing the right thing. He should have done it before now.'
