Ranking Member Jamie Raskin's Statement on President Trump's Unprecedented Takeover

[chowder66]

Ranking Member Jamie Raskin’s Statement on President Trump’s Unprecedented Takeover of Local Police in Washington, D.C.

August 11, 2025
Press Release
Washington, D.C. (August 11, 2025)—Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced he would federalize the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and deploy the National Guard in Washington, D.C.:

“In another transparent ploy to distract America from his coverup of the Epstein file, Donald Trump now wants to militarize the District of Columbia to attack crime and clean up graffiti in the capital city despite the fact that crime is at a 30-year low in Washington and graffiti seems to be pretty sparse. It is at least heartening to have the President recognize what was obvious to the world on January 6, 2021, which is that he has the authority to call up the National Guard in Washington, D.C. On that day, Democratic and Republican Congressional leaders were literally begging Trump to deploy the Guard to put down the rampaging mob violence that he had incited against Congress, Vice-President Mike Pence and Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police and Montgomery County Police officers (among others) fighting to defend the Capitol. However, this action is four-and-a-half years late and obviously nonsensical today.

“No one in Washington is asking Trump to deploy the National Guard or take over the MPD. This is a phony, manufactured crisis if I’ve ever seen one.

“Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly undermined public safety in our nation’s capital. On his first day, without consulting District leaders or the hundreds of police victims, Trump pardoned and released from prisons and jails 1,600 individuals who participated in the worst mass domestic violent attack on the U.S. Capitol and D.C.’s local police in American history, including several hundreds convicted of beating cops. Then he began firing D.C.’s most experienced career violent crime prosecutors simply because they had prosecuted the cop-beating January 6 insurrectionists whom Trump pardoned. He has named January 6 participants, pro-insurrectionist conspiracy theorists, and election deniers to run the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C., the Justice Department, and the FBI.

“In a textbook authoritarian maneuver, the President now invokes emergency powers to militarize the seat of government and override the authority and decisions of D.C.’s elected officials. He of course does nothing to address the statehood petition of the District’s disenfranchised population of 700,000 taxpaying American citizens.

“To be clear, this escalation has nothing to do with fighting crime. President Trump has made clear that he would like to expand these efforts beyond the Capital City, to take over American cities like Chicago, Oakland, and Baltimore, where his constitutional and legal authority would be even more dubious.

“I will be introducing a Resolution in the House, pursuant to the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973, to reverse this plainly ridiculous state of local emergency and restore full home rule powers to the Mayor, Council and people of the District of Columbia.”

https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ranking-member-jamie-raskin-s-statement-on-president-trump-s-unprecedented-takeover-of-local-police-in-washington-dc

[dweller]

1. This is how every statement should read

Reminding the reader that it’s more coverup of the Epstein files .


✌🏻

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

15. And letting Project 2025 know that we are onto their hiding behind their sock puppet routine...

... eom.

[GiqueCee]

18. Russell Vought...

... is a rampaging venomous snake. Treat him like one.

[malaise]

2. K & R

for visibility

[MineralMan]

3. This is what Democrats are doing.

Thanks to this one!

[choie]

4. This is what one Democrat is doing.

And Hakeem Jeffries: https://thehill.com/ho menews/5446596-trump-jeffries-dc-crime/

Not a peep, as far as I can tell, from Schumer.

[mr715]

5. And Raskin is exceptional nt

[chowder66]

8. I've been posting several statements. There are tons on Bsky. I'm not going to spend

time posting those.
Here is what Chuck Schumer had to say.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) heaped criticism on President Trump’s announced takeover of the Washington, D.C., police department and deployment of the National Guard across the nation’s capital, arguing it was nothing more than a “political ploy” and an “attempted distraction” from a number of other scandals plaguing the administration.
“For all the talk Republicans give about giving their localities their rights, where are they now?” Schumer posted on X.
“If this was anything other than a political ploy and attempted distraction from Trump’s other scandals, if he actually cared about the people of DC, he’d demand the House finally release the billion dollars of DC’s funding they’ve been sitting on for months,” the Democratic leader added.

If you go to this link where the statement is from you will see other statements and reports.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5445829-live-updates-trump/

[mr715]

10. Sen. Schumer isn't built to lead a national response

Which is problematic as leader of the minority. I appreciate him, sorta kinda, but he isn't made for what we need now.

[choie]

12. He's my senator

and I voted for him several times. But as you said, he's not built to lead a national response. Actually he's also not built to lead a state-wide response.

[mr715]

13. I'm not brave enough to say that!

He was my senator for a long time - I remember when he lied and said Closing Time was his favorite song and went on to beat D'Amato which was a tall ask.

I do not he even has been particularly good to NY from a pork perspective, which was one of the arguments for having a Daschle or a Reid.

I think Reid was the best leader of my lifetime.


Edit: For the record my senators are now Rick Scott and some other person. It used to be Rubio, who has amassed a near Kissingerian level of power for himself. However, I am at heart always a New Yorker despite my temporary ties to the state of Florida.

[GiqueCee]

19. John Oliver...

... had some interesting observations about Schumer on Last Week Tonight, mostly in Schumer's own words. Interesting, and more than a little disconcerting.

[mr715]

6. It is some. I'd appreciate more and louder but I'm already the audience. nt.

[bronxiteforever]

7. Kick! This man is a hero full stop.n/t

[Rebl2]

9. All to distract

from Epstein files

[Pinback]

11. Brilliant and cogent as always.

Rep. Raskin is one of our very best. His analyses are always thorough and well informed, yet easy to understand. He must have been one hell of a constitutional law professor.

[Hekate]

14. Kick

[Six117]

16. "Unprecedented"

That's a poor choice of words -tiresome and over used. Unlawful, illegal, gross abuse of power by a criminal serial sexual predator is what is is.

Why is it so hard to just say what it is?

[UTUSN]

17. K&R