OPINION:
Criminals are on the run in the nation’s capital. After decades of one-party Democratic rule rigged the system for the benefit of miscreants, laws are being efficiently enforced. It’s about time.
“The White House is in charge. The military and our great police will liberate this city, scrape away the filth, and make it safe, clean, habitable and beautiful once more,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Using his powers under the Home Rule Act, the president has mobilized more than 1,000 National Guard troops and deputized FBI agents and assorted other three-letter agency cops to convey a simple message to the bad guys: You won’t get away with it anymore.
Actual inner-city residents are enjoying evenings undisturbed by random gunfire. It’s possible to walk past Union Station without being accosted by vagrants. Homeless encampments no longer dominate parks.
Liberals find themselves in a pickle, as their reflexive opposition to anything Mr. Trump does has them paying for rented crowds of White protesters who chant unconvincing slogans in favor of a return to rampant hooliganism.
Metropolitan Police Department officers are thrilled to have the backup. Like so many other major American cities, the District of Columbia fell under the sway of the “defund the police” movement, and the ranks of lawmen were decimated. The feds are filling the void by allowing 800 MPD vacancies.
Reinvigorated, MPD has established a late-night curfew for juveniles in the Navy Yard area to curb disturbances of the peace. “We completely agree with the president that crime in the District of Columbia is out of control and something needs to be done with it,” D.C. Police Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton said on Fox News. “The fact that we need help from federal law enforcement shouldn’t come as a surprise.”
Criminals, on the other hand, aren’t so appreciative. More than 300 wrongdoers have been locked up. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro can take over felony prosecutions, and that’s important because the locals have a reputation for freeing crooks. The city attorney is interested in throwing the book only at people who overstay at a parking meter by a few minutes.
To maximize deterrence, Ms. Pirro has begun applying statutes liberally, including booking a now-former Justice Department employee who tossed a sandwich at a Border Patrol agent near U Street Northwest for felony assault.
It’s not likely a D.C. federal judge would ever allow elevated charges to stick, but what matters is the message being sent: A zero-tolerance policy is in effect. Left-wing activists aren’t going to get away with throwing bricks at police or dumping paint on priceless works of art.
Control of what’s happening in the federal city also extends to cleaning up the museums. The president ordered a sweeping audit of the Smithsonian’s vast holdings to ensure the exhibits stop teaching a warped Marxist view of history to new generations.
“The Smithsonian is supposed to be a global symbol of American strength, culture and prestige. A place for families and children to celebrate American history and greatness,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller explained.
Expect the museum’s proselytizing on global warming to be replaced with exhibits on the Founding Fathers that appreciate the nation they created. As we near the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, it’s appropriate that the president restore sanity to the storehouse of our national heritage and the streets of our capital city.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.