To Democrat’s dismay, Trump’s federal surge against crime is working. After President Trump invoked the Home Rule Act and temporarily took policing authority in DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser reluctantly reported fewer gun crimes, fewer homicides, and an “extreme reduction” in carjackings. In the 20-day window officials highlighted, carjackings dropped from 31 to 4, an 87% plunge. White House figures added broader context, saying violent crime fell roughly a third and total crime is down nearly a fifth since the surge began. You can debate style and optics all day, but results matter to the mom walking to a bus stop and the store owner locking up after dark. Fewer victims. Fewer funerals. That’s what communities notice.
Critics worry this looks like federal policing. Fair concern. Federalized authority is serious business and should be rare. Here, though, saturation policing, plus joint task forces produced fast, measurable impact. Local data already showed some downward drift from the 2023 peak. The surge accelerated the curve. Burglary, robbery, and homicide all moved in the right direction during the same period. Residents are uneasy seeing Guard units and masked agents on city streets. Understood. Yet the basic equation is clear. When criminal accountability goes up, victimization goes down. If leaders can restore those outcomes with fewer federal boots and more local hires, great. Until then, the score is on the board. Across the country Democratic-controlled cities are crime-ridden, a result of defunding police and being soft on crime.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order telling the Chicago Police Department not to assist any federal deployments and is threatening lawsuits to block a DC-style operation. As of July, Chicago had recorded 846 shootings from January 1 to July 31, down from 1,347 the previous year. That’s a drop, sure, but 846 is still 846 too many. In July alone, there were 184 shootings and 238 shooting victims, with 44 murders—down from 250 shootings and 322 victims in July 2024. So when Mayor Johnson dismisses any talk of federal help, he’s banking on these declining stats—but locals still feel the ripple of daily shootings. Yes, comparisons to last year show improvement, but Chicago ranks among cities still grappling with a hundred-plus shootings per month. That’s not a safe city—it’s simply less dangerous than it was.
Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom blasts Trump’s “authoritarianism,” sues to block federal control of the Guard, and warns about militarized cities. Then he deploys California Highway Patrol “crime suppression” teams statewide, touting arrests, gun seizures, and stolen-goods recoveries. He wants the crackdown, but only with his brand on the jacket. Politics aside, the DC evidence points to a simple truth. Visible enforcement, swift consequences, and enough sworn presence make streets safer. The moral here is not complicated. Protect the innocent. Confront evil. Don’t make excuses for lawlessness, whether it’s violent crime or illegal entrants shielded from enforcement. As Christ warned of the last days in Matthew 24:12, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” There ae some who promote it.
Sources
- “Washington Mayor Bowser Says Crime Has Decreased Since Trump’s Federal Law Enforcement Surge” — The Epoch Times:https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/washington-mayor-credits-federal-surge-for-drop-in-crime-backs-trumps-infrastructure-request-5907260
- “‘This can be replicated’: White House touts 30% drop in DC crime as mayor says federal surge is helping” — WTOP:https://wtop.com/dc/2025/08/bowser-says-federal-surge-in-dc-is-helping-combat-crime-but-causing-anxiety-for-some-residents/
- “Situational Update: Federal Surge” (Mayor’s presentation slides) — Office of the DC Mayor (PDF):https://mayor.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mayormb/release_content/attachments/Situational_Update-Federal_Surge.pdf
- “CBS News analyzed D.C. crime data amid National Guard deployments” — CBS News:https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dc-crime-data-national-guard-deployments-analysis/
- “Chicago mayor says police will not aid federal troops or agents” — Reuters:https://www.reuters.com/world/us/chicago-mayor-says-police-will-not-aid-federal-troops-or-agents-2025-08-30/
- “Chicago sees fewer than 600 murders in 2024 for 1st time since 2019; shootings, carjackings down” — ABC7 Chicago:https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-violence-city-sees-fewer-600-murders-2024-1st-time-2019-shootings-carjackings-down/15738569/
- “Shootings, Homicides in Chicago Both Down More than 30% Through First Half of 2025: Police” — WTTW:https://news.wttw.com/2025/07/11/shootings-homicides-chicago-both-down-more-30-through-first-half-2025-police
- “How bad is crime in Chicago? What numbers reveal” — NBC Chicago:https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/as-trump-insists-on-deploying-the-military-how-bad-is-chicago-crime-a-look-at-the-numbers/3814714/
- “Newsom deploys CHP crime teams to six California regions” — CalMatters:https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/08/newsom-crime-chp-deployment/
- “Governor Newsom deploys new teams to fight crime in major California cities” — Office of Governor Newsom:https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/08/28/governor-newsom-deploys-new-teams-to-fight-crime-in-major-california-cities-building-on-existing-successful-efforts/
- “California plans to file lawsuit against Trump over National Guard deployment” — PBS NewsHour:https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/california-gov-gavin-newsom-to-sue-trump-over-national-guard-deployment
