Trump's Washington, D.C., takeover targets a host of groups, many of them vulnerable
President Trump said Monday he'll use the National Guard and Metropolitan police to target criminals in Washington, D.C., but criminals aren't his only targets. Trump also called for a purge of poor people and people without housing from the nation's capital. Much of his toughest rhetoric was aimed at young people.
Trump has frequently used harsh language to describe immigrants living in the U.S. without legal status. During a press conference at the White House on Monday, he used similar rhetoric to describe Americans he accused of destroying the nation's capital.
"Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people," Trump said.
Violent crime is at a 30-year low, according to Justice Department data, but Trump says he wants those city residents dealt with harshly. Trump said Metropolitan police will operate more aggressively under federal control for at least the next 30 days. Trump said cops will be allowed to do "whatever the hell they want."
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/12/nx-s1-5498766/trumps-d-c-takeover-targets-vulnerable-groups
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