Trump embraces tough-on-crime mantra amid DC takeover as he and Democrats claim political wins
August 21, 2025
President Donald Trump is proudly promoting the work of roughly 2,000 National Guard troops in Washington to confront what the Republican president describes as an out-of-control crime wave in the Democratic-run city. Trump and his allies are confident that his decision to dispatch soldiers to a key American city with no clear crisis is a big political winner. Democrats say this is a fight they’re eager to have. One Democratic strategist says it’s “an opportunity for the party to go on offense on an issue that has plagued us for a long time.” Trump’s power grab could be a factor for both sides in elections in Virginia and New Jersey this fall — and next year’s midterms.