Crime in our nation's capital is down. But in President Donald Trump's America, facts are up for debate and conveniently discarded when they contradict whatever narrative he and his cronies want to spin.
According to Trump, Washington, DC, is filled with "Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum"—so much so that he is deploying the National Guard and 120 FBI agents to patrol the streets, he announced today. This comes even as the administration is also cutting $20 million in security funding for the nation’s capital.
As my colleague Inae Oh brilliantly explains, the absurdity does not end there. This was all sparked by one violent crime in the capital city—an assault and attempted carjacking—that befell Edward Coristine, one of Elon Musk's former DOGE bros who you may remember based on his online alias ("Big Balls"). But what happened to Coristine is not, in fact, indicative of a broader problem befitting a federal takeover of DC, as Inae writes:
Overall crime in DC, including carjackings, has been steadily dropping. In fact, officials cited a 30-year low for violent crime back in January. “Any comparison to a war-torn country is hyperbolic and false,” DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Sunday in response to Trump’s characterization.
But this has not stopped Trump and the White House from doubling down on his claims. And unfortunately, as my colleague Stephanie Mencimer points out, the District's residents cannot count on their sole congressional delegate—an 88-year-old who no longer drives—to do much fighting on their behalf.
—Julianne McShane
P.S. Did you catch this weekend's episode of Reveal? It's based on a collaboration with the Marshall Project about what happens when hospitals test new parents for drugs, which can trigger the state taking custody of a newborn—even when the parent only had over-the-counter cold medicine or, in this case, ate some poppyseeds. (Yes, really.) Give it a listen wherever you get your podcasts.
