President Donald J. Trump offered a robust defense of his decision to deploy the National Guard in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, casting the move as a necessary response to rising crime while dismissing critics who branded the action authoritarian and also made a shocking announcement about just how far he is willing to go to ensure the move is a success.
“That’s right. Because I sent in people to stop crime, they said he’s a dictator,” Mr. Trump said in a recent interview. “The real people, though, they’re calling — even Democrats are calling me up saying it’s unbelievable. You know, it has been four days, right? And they said it is unbelievable.”
The president, who has long made law and order central to his political identity, said he planned to continue his efforts on the ground. “I’m going to be going out tonight. I’m gonna keep it a secret, but I’m gonna go — you’re the only one that knows, you and your lots of listeners,” he told the interviewer. He added, “You have a great show, you have a very successful show, by the way, in case you haven’t heard that. But I’m going to be going out tonight, I think, with the police and with the military, of course. So we’re going to do a job. The National Guard is great. They’ve done a fantastic job.”
His remarks highlighted a contrast between Mr. Trump’s emphasis on restoring order and the criticism from Democratic officials, particularly Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C. Ms. Bowser has repeatedly denounced the deployment, portraying it as an unnecessary escalation and a dangerous precedent.
She initially called Mr. Trump’s use of the Guard “unsettling and unprecedented,” warning against what she described as the normalization of troops patrolling American streets. In recent days, she also lashed out at Republican governors who dispatched their own Guard units to assist in the capital. “I don’t have any authority over the D.C. guard or any other guards, but I think it is, kind of makes the point that this is not about D.C. crime,” Ms. Bowser said over the weekend.
Her comments revealed the deep partisan divide over how to handle crime in the capital. Mr. Trump, echoing the frustration of residents who see the city’s safety slipping, has argued that his opponents are more concerned with political optics than with protecting communities.
By contrast, Democrats such as Ms. Bowser have framed the Guard’s presence as politically motivated and heavy-handed.
For Mr. Trump, however, the calculus is clear: safety takes precedence. His assertion that “even Democrats” privately acknowledge the Guard’s effectiveness suggests that behind closed doors, concern about crime transcends party lines.
The episode underscores the broader clash between a president who prided himself on decisive action and critics who insist such steps threaten democratic norms.
While Ms. Bowser and her allies worry about “unsettling” images of troops in American neighborhoods, Mr. Trump presents the Guard as a symbol of reassurance, discipline, and public safety.
“The National Guard is great,” he said simply. “They’ve done a fantastic job.”
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