Donald Trump Is Right — Washington, D.C. Is Way Too Dangerous
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
In typical fashion, Donald Trump is managing to make his opponents sound even crazier than he does.
On Tuesday, the president let loose a stemwinder of a Truth Social post.
After Big Balls, perhaps the second most famous former Department of Government Efficiency employee after Elon Musk, was assaulted during an attempted carjacking, Trump posted a picture of the wounded federal employee alongside the following message:
Crime in Washington, D.C., is totally out of control. Local “youths” and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released. They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now! The Law in D.C. must be changed to prosecute these “minors” as adults, and lock them up for a long time, starting at age 14. The most recent victim was beaten mercilessly by local thugs. Washington, D.C., must be safe, clean, and beautiful for all Americans and, importantly, for the World to see. If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore. Perhaps it should have been done a long time ago, then this incredible young man, and so many others, would not have had to go through the horrors of Violent Crime. If this continues, I am going to exert my powers, and FEDERALIZE this City. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
The reaction to Trump’s words from many has to been to dismiss them entirely.
“Violent crime in DC is actually down 26% YOY; in 2024, it was down 35% from 2023. Victims deserve justice, more can always be done, when Trump says crime is ‘out of control’ he’s BSing,” declared Media Matters’s Matthew Gertz.
“Not bc crime is raging (it’s actually DOWN 26%). Not bc an average citizen was attacked. Not bc a POC was assaulted. No. It’s bc ONE person…a white former DOGE staffer…was attacked. Someone who matters to Trump. This is self-serving autocratic BS,” insisted Andy Ostroy.
Axios published an article under the headline “Trump’s federal crackdown in D.C. ramps up — despite falling crime,” which was trumpeted by the likes of The New York Times‘ Peter Baker.
“While Trump claims that crime is ‘totally out of control’ in Washington to justify a possible takeover of the nation’s capital, crime has dropped dramatically in the city, with violent crime down 26% from last year,” wrote Baker.
He should have done a little more homework.
It’s true that crime is down in the nation’s capital, but that’s hardly a comfort to its residents.
In 2017, there were 116 homicides in Washington, D.C.; in 2023, there were 274. Last year, that figure was cut down significantly to 187. That’s better, but still far too many.
And homicides aren’t the whole story. There have still been well over 1,500 recorded violent crimes in the district this year — and property crime has only ticked downward.
D.C. also continues to be plagued by a staggering carjacking epidemic that has drivers taking a deep breath every time they turn their engine over. To date, there have been 186 carjacking offenses in D.C. this year, 72% of which involved the use of a firearm. Only 86 of those cases have been closed.
Moreover, as the Axios article notes, the falling crime rates are at least in part attributable to the Trump administration’s efforts:
Meanwhile, nonviolent arrests are spiking under Trump’s “D.C. Safe and Beautiful” executive order, which created a multi-agency task force in March to crack down on crime, homeless encampments, and graffiti.
…
Federal oversight is growing: U.S. Park Police increased arrests by 37% during the first half of this year, a White House official told the [Washington] Post — 806 arrests from January to June, up from 589 in the same period last year.
Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with providing accurate data describing declining crime rates in reporting on Trump’s recent rant about the state of play in the capital. But there is something deeply wrong about citing them as a proof of the president’s folly.
If a 600-pound man were to shed 150 of those pounds, his doctor would still have his concerns. If a debtor who owed millions to his lender paid half a million down, the latter wouldn’t tell him to forget about the rest. This principle goes double for an issue like crime — and especially violent crime — which simply cannot be dismissed by smugly pointing at a declining rate in spite of the still disturbing underlying figures.
Donald Trump is right; Washington, D.C. is still dangerous to the point of being a national embarrassment.
And it’s city officials, not Trump, who the press should be held to account for it.
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
