Donald Trump doesn’t believe in democracy for all—far from it. Like the authoritarians he admires, he wants to pick who gets have their rights protected, and who sees them taken away.
Now, he’s using America’s military as his private plaything to enact his twisted agenda, crack down on peaceful demonstrations, intimidate ordinary citizens and persecute the most vulnerable.
When he saw tents of unhoused people from his motorcade window on the way to his golf course, he decided to assert his dominance over home rule in Washington to place the city’s police department under federal control and send in the National Guard.
Despite the fact that crime has dropped precipitously in Washington, with violent crime at a 30 year low, Trump declared a state of emergency in D.C., and signaled he’ll do the same in other cities that have a racially diverse population and are governed by Democrats.
He’s even drafting a plan to establish a “Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force” of National Guard troops to rapidly deploy into American cities facing protests or other unrest.
Today, the streets of Washington, D.C. are an unfamiliar landscape populated by FBI agents in armored vests, National Guard troops and a frightened population being terrorized by the law enforcement agencies meant to protect them.
Trump’s actions against one of our country’s most diverse, liberal and welcoming cities has nothing to do with a real crisis, and everything to do with a demonstration of power. He wants to send a message that cities and states that are not sufficiently deferential to him will feel his wrath and see their streets turned into military zones.
NOW members are outraged by this authoritarian overreach and assault on democracy, and we demand justice, dignity and true safety for everyone—no matter their income, status, or views.
Can we count on Congress to examine these actions—or challenge Trump’s next steps once the 30-day window he has to override the city’s Home Rule closes?
Not this Congress. Not now.
That’s why NOW members will continue to speak truth to power—and work to elect lawmakers who listen, and respect the law, human rights, and the principles of democracy being torn to shreds on the streets of the nation’s capital today.