The jousting has begun over Trump’s plan to broaden his crime crackdown in major US cities.
After federalizing DC and seeing a rather significant violent crime drop, Trump wants to broaden his reach.
After threatening to add Chicago to the list, Governor Pritzker all but declared war on Trump.
We noted in an earlier report that Mayor Bowser has actually admitted that the crackdown in DC is working.
Bowser stated, "For carjackings, the difference between this period, this 20-day period of this federal surge and last year represents an 87% reduction in carjackings in Washington, D.C. We know that when carjackings go down, when use of gun goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer. So, this surge has been important to us for that reason."
She continued, "This is what we think in just a couple of weeks of experience has worked. more federal law enforcement officers on the street — we think having more stops that got to illegal guns has helped. We think that there is more accountability in the system, or at least perceived accountability in the system, that is driving down illegal behavior. We know that we have had fewer gun crimes, fewer homicides, and we have experienced an extreme reduction in carjackings."
These are big drops, and we were hoping that mayors of high-crime cities would look at this and ask Trump for help, but that is not happening.
When Governor Pritzker heard that Trump wanted to send help to Chicago, he immediately rejected the idea.
He stated, “There is no emergency in Chicago that calls for armed military intervention. There is no insurrection.”
Pritzker continued, “Donald Trump wants to use the military to occupy a U.S. city, punish his dissidents and score political points. If this were happening in any other country, we would have no trouble calling it what it is — a dangerous power grab.”
This is one of two narratives that Democrats are pushing, those being authoritarianism and racism against black mayors.
Pritzker has since stepped up his attacks, now saying that action will be met with action.
He stated, "Unlike Donald Trump, we keep our promises. We will not stand idly by if he decides to send the National Guard to intimidate Chicagoans. Action will be met with a response.”
Chicago Mayor Johnson added, "The problem with the President's approach is that it is uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound. Unlawfully deploying the National Guard to Chicago has the potential to inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement when we know that trust between police and residents is foundational to building safer communities."
Now, I have to say, I have been watching some town hall events, and residents are fed up with the crime and are actually welcoming Trump’s help. Johnson, if he were smart, would actually ask for help rather than forcing Trump’s hand, but that is what Democrats want. That, however, could backfire, as many residents are simply sick and tired of being held prisoner by criminals in their neighborhoods.
