Are we approaching "too far" yet? Curious to hear the arguments for, and against, a sitting President ordering Federal Troops to take over policing one of our cities. Different because its DC?
Long overdue. POTUS is not taking over a city. The District of Columbia is a constitutionally-created hunk of land set aside for the sole purpose of being the nations capital. The federal government has plenary authority over it.
The only reason the District even has a mayor and counsel is with federal government consent. The self governing model for the District has failed. Absolutely we should take over law enforcement and make DC the safest and most beautiful place in America. That is within federal discretion. I have no problem with assigning routine municipal functions to local control. That would be filling potholes and collecting garbage.
Cities are a different issue. Dozens of police departments and detention centers are now run by the DOJ through consent decrees obtained by the DOJ litigating civil rights issues with various localities. If Pam Bondi can convince a court that Soros-inspired law enforcement ( no bail, ridiculous limits on shop lifting, car jacking leniency, lax gun enforcement, mugging) is such a problem that the civil rights of law-abiding citizens are violated, then consent decrees requiring stern law enforcement is possible. Otherwise, I don’t see a way for the feds to become involved in local law enforcement in any meaningful way.
Are we approaching "too far" yet? Curious to hear the arguments for, and against, a sitting President ordering Federal Troops to take over policing one of our cities. Different because its DC?
Long overdue. POTUS is not taking over a city. The District of Columbia is a constitutionally-created hunk of land set aside for the sole purpose of being the nations capital. The federal government has plenary authority over it.
The only reason the District even has a mayor and counsel is with federal government consent. The self governing model for the District has failed. Absolutely we should take over law enforcement and make DC the safest and most beautiful place in America. That is within federal discretion. I have no problem with assigning routine municipal functions to local control. That would be filling potholes and collecting garbage.
Cities are a different issue. Dozens of police departments and detention centers are now run by the DOJ through consent decrees obtained by the DOJ litigating civil rights issues with various localities. If Pam Bondi can convince a court that Soros-inspired law enforcement ( no bail, ridiculous limits on shop lifting, car jacking leniency, lax gun enforcement, mugging) is such a problem that the civil tights of law-abiding citizens are violated, then consent decrees requiring stern law enforcement is possible. Otherwise, I don’t see a way for the feds to become involved in local law enforcement in any meaningful way.
Congress has control not the “Federal Government”
I heard that it is far easier for POTUS to get the Feds to become involved in local law enforcement in DC than it is in any other city, where state governors have some specific responsibilities. Though that didn't stop Trump from doing an end-around on Newsome to send the Guard to LA.
"You can't make someone listen to reason if they aren't willing to think"-- Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
Armored military vehicles parked at the National Mall is a fairly predictable symbolic move, for Trump. Tons of crime going on at the Mall.
Sometimes his dramatic symbolism moves and statements have positive affects. Often times they do little to nothing, yet he uses them as propaganda.
I'm sure many are eating it all up...per usual. I'll be trying to keep an eye on what the federal forces are actually doing to limit the actual crime, if anything.
I don’t think it’s needed and agree this is more publicity stunt than actual well thought out policy.Armored military vehicles parked at the National Mall is a fairly predictable symbolic move, for Trump. Tons of crime going on at the Mall.
Sometimes his dramatic symbolism moves and statements have positive affects. Often times they do little to nothing, yet he uses them as propaganda.
I'm sure many are eating it all up...per usual. I'll be trying to keep an eye on what the federal forces are actually doing to limit the actual crime, if anything.
But will you hold to account the news sources or pundits who claimed this move would result in a police state where the police and NG arrested Trump political enemies and harassing people who are anti-Trump if that does not come to pass?
Im old enough to remember 4-5 months back when people on the WC had multiple threads dedicated to the upcoming Musk takeover of America, articles written about him actually being the “Co-President,” along with posters, pundits, and reporters certain Musk was stealing hundreds of millions of social security, health, and other PI of American citizens to help him take control of the country. Do those people who fell for that ridiculous conspiracy theory now hold those sources to account?
@bradstevens If that's how it goes down, sure! That's not how politics often work, on either side. Its certainly not how our POTUS works, nor most of his MAGA followers. But I will certainly be open to acknowledging what actually happens. Again, even though I know our POTUS won't.
...will you hold to account the news sources or pundits who claimed this move would result in a police state where the police and NG arrested Trump political enemies and harassing people who are anti-Trump if that does not come to pass?
Link to news sources or known political pundits (not random social media nutjobs) alleging this?
Seems exceptionally "out there"
I do have one nutjob facebook friend who claimed that political assassinations were coming, but that's all I've seen.
"You can't make someone listen to reason if they aren't willing to think"-- Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
Part of my point is, if you want to be better than MAGA you have to actually act like it. Just believing certain things doesn’t make you a better person or party.@bradstevens If that's how it goes down, sure! That's not how politics often work, on either side. Its certainly not how our POTUS works, nor most of his MAGA followers. But I will certainly be open to acknowledging what actually happens. Again, even though I know our POTUS won't.
The Dems still throw out that inveterate liar Raskin to talk about authoritarism, the courts, etc. even though he does nothing but lie and predict doom and nothing happens. They are no better than the Republican liars and I’m fed up with all of them.
@bradstevens agreed on some levels. I think what I've done is called Trump a Trump, for the most part. But the reactions, people, statements, from the other side are often just as wild. Which, believe me, drives me insane as well.
There's also quite a lot of Trump fatigue going on. And the blow back to expressing concerns about things like this, are being affected by it.
He did send the NG in to LA, recently. He did park armored vehicles at the national mall today. He is talking about doing similar things in Chicago. Absolutely unprecedented, unheard of things, that are now being met with... "Ehhh, wake me when he sends in Shermans and Blackhawks and parks them in front of a preschool in Detroit."
Until THEN though, stop being an alarmist. I guess...
He did send the NG in to LA, recently. He did park armored vehicles at the national mall today. He is talking about doing similar things in Chicago. Absolutely unprecedented, unheard of things, that are now being met with… “Ehhh, wake me when he sends in Shermans and Blackhawks and parks them in front of a preschool in Detroit.”
unfortunately, the level and kinds of violence, crime, and general chaos in certain times and places is also unprecedented. Conventional methods are not working to stem the tide. Moreover, with actions such as no cash bail and not prosecuting, or even investigating, some criminal activity are just two of the myriad of reasons why crime seems to be uncontrollable in many instances.
I think most law enforcement professionals would agree that there mere presence of law enforcement and authorities is a deterrent. As far as the National Mall is concerned, there is no way to know how much crime doesn’t happen because of that presence. I really don’t know why anybody would oppose what Trump is trying to accomplish in DC.
Armored military vehicles parked at the National Mall is a fairly predictable symbolic move, for Trump. Tons of crime going on at the Mall.
Sometimes his dramatic symbolism moves and statements have positive affects. Often times they do little to nothing, yet he uses them as propaganda.
I'm sure many are eating it all up...per usual. I'll be trying to keep an eye on what the federal forces are actually doing to limit the actual crime, if anything.
Does this help Metro Police? If you put National Guard in high profile areas does it free up the Metro Police? Does it allow Metro Police to have a bigger presence in the more problematic areas?
Questions that we probably need answered
@bradstevens agreed on some levels. I think what I've done is called Trump a Trump, for the most part. But the reactions, people, statements, from the other side are often just as wild. Which, believe me, drives me insane as well.
There's also quite a lot of Trump fatigue going on. And the blow back to expressing concerns about things like this, are being affected by it.
He did send the NG in to LA, recently. He did park armored vehicles at the national mall today. He is talking about doing similar things in Chicago. Absolutely unprecedented, unheard of things, that are now being met with... "Ehhh, wake me when he sends in Shermans and Blackhawks and parks them in front of a preschool in Detroit."
Until THEN though, stop being an alarmist. I guess...
I think it's the sum of his actions that gives people pause. There is middle ground between "OMG! OMG! The sky is falling and Trump is the second coming of Hitler!" and "shrug, it's no big deal."
His administration leading redistricting efforts, using the US military to police US cities, controlling what gets displayed at the Smithsonian, getting rid of federal employees charged with helping with checks and balances, and trying to bend the collective media narrative in his favor are all eyebrow raising on their own, but implementing it as a whole - mostly as it was laid out in Project 2025 - is definitely something we should be concerned with.
I really don’t know why anybody would oppose what Trump is trying to accomplish in DC.
The only thing he's "trying to accomplish" is a show of force (what a manly man he is) and a PR bump. The only way these untrained, uncredentialed soldiers could help would be to be stationed inside the precinct station, behind desks, and take up the admin tasks and allow the actual law enforcement officers to get out on the streets. But that doesn't play on television.