NewsNation Host Celebrates Trump’s Visit to National Guard in D.C., Says Crime Crackdown ‘Was Meant for You, in the Middle of America’

NewsNation host Leland Vittert slammed Democrats and residents of Washington, D.C., “who would prefer more crime.”

On Thursday’s edition of On Balance, the host praised President Donald Trump’s D.C. crackdown and dismissed the 79% of Washingtonians who oppose Trump’s seizure of the district’s police force and deployment of the National Guard to the city, according to a Washington Post poll. The survey found that a majority of residents have noticed an increased federal presence, and 61% of them reported that Trump’s actions have made them feel less safe.

On Thursday, Trump visited federal agents and National Guard members in D.C., and gave rambling remarks about “the greatest attorney general” and how he knows more about grass “than anyone alive.”

“Trump’s visit is just the latest example of the president escalating his fight with Democrats over everything, but he thinks that this fight over the crackdown on crime is a winning one,” Vittert said, before telling his viewers that Trump’s stunt was for them.

“Trump’s decision to visit the guard wasn’t meant for the folks living in the District,” the host continued. “It was meant for you, in the middle of America. Eighty percent of the people living in D.C. despise the takeover despite the fact that crime is down substantially. It goes to show you how real the hatred for President Trump is in D.C. There’s a number of people in D.C. who would prefer more crime to Donald Trump getting a win.”

Vittert went on to call Trump’s escalation in D.C. “a dare” to Democratic mayor and governors “who let crime run rampant.”

“Number one, he’s gonna call ’em out,” he continued. “But number two, basically he’s saying that, ‘If you don’t clean up your cities. I, President Trump will do it for you.'”

Watch above via NewsNation.