President Donald Trump speaks with members of law enforcement and National Guard soldiers, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)2025-08-22T04:01:25Z NEW YORK (AP) President Donald Trump stood among several hundred law enforcement officers, National Guard troops and federal agents at a U.S. Park Police operations center in one of Washington, D.C.'s most dangerous neighborhoods. As the cameras rolled, he offered a stark message about crime, an issue hes been hammering for decades, as he thanked them for their efforts.Were not playing games, he said. Were going to make it safe. And were going to then go on to other places. The Republican president is proudly promoting the work of roughly 2,000 National Guard troops in the city, loaned by allied governors from at least six Republican-led states. Theyre in place to confront what Trump describes as an out-of-control crime wave in the Democratic-run city, though violent crime in Washington, like dozens of cities led by Democrats, has been down significantly since a pandemic high. Trump and his allies are confident that his stunning decision to dispatch troops to a major American city is a big political winner almost certain to remind voters of why they elected him last fall.Democrats say this is a fight theyre eager to have. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, an Army veteran, cast Trumps move as a dangerous political stunt designed to distract the American people from his inability to address persistent inflation, rising energy prices and major health insurance cuts, among other major policy challenges. Im deeply offended, as someone whos actually worn the uniform, that he would use the lives of these men and women and the activation of these men and women as political pawns, Moore told The Associated Press. Trumps extraordinary federal power grab comes as the term-limited president has threatened to send troops to other American cities led by Democrats, even as voters voice increasing concern about his authoritarian tendencies. And it could be a factor for both sides in elections in Virginia and New Jersey this fall and next years more consequential midterms. People rally against President Donald Trumps use of federal law enforcement and National Guard troops along the U street corridor in northwest Washington Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) People rally against President Donald Trumps use of federal law enforcement and National Guard troops along the U street corridor in northwest Washington Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Inside the White House strategyThe president and White House see Trumps decision to take over the D.C. police department as a political boon and have been eager to publicize the efforts.The White House offered a livestream of Trumps Thursday evening appearance, and on Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a surprise visit to Union Station, D.C.s busy transit hub, to thank members of the National Guard over Shake Shack burgers. Each morning, Trumps press office distributes statistics outlining the previous nights law enforcement actions, including total arrests and how many of those people are in the country illegally. The strategy echoes Trumps crackdown on illegal immigration, which has often forced Democrats to come to the defense of people living in the country illegally, including some who have committed serious crimes.A White House official, speaking on background to discuss internal deliberations, dismissed concerns about perceptions of federal overreach in Washington, saying public safety is a fundamental requirement and a priority for residents. Trump defended his efforts during an interview on The Todd Starnes Show Thursday. Because I sent in people to stop crime, they said, Hes a dictator. The real people, though, even Democrats, are calling me and saying, Its unbelievable how much it has helped, he said.The White House hopes to use its actions in D.C. as a test case to inspire changes in other cities, though Trump has legal power to intervene in Washington that he doesnt have elsewhere because the city is under partial federal control. Everyday Americans who support commonsense policies would deem the removal of more than 600 dangerous criminals from the streets of our nations capital a huge success, said White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers. The Democrats continue to be wildly unpopular because they oppose efforts to stop violent crime and protect law-abiding citizens. Democrats lean inMoore, Marylands Democratic governor, suggested a dark motivation behind Trumps approach, which is focused almost exclusively on cities with large minority populations led by Democratic mayors of color.Once again, we are seeing how these incredibly dangerous and biased tropes are being used about these communities by someone who is not willing to step foot in them, but is willing to stand in the Oval Office and defend them, Moore said.Even before Trump called the National Guard to Washington, Democratic mayors across the country have been touting their success in reducing violent crime. Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, who leads the Democratic Mayors Association, noted that over half of the 70 largest Democratic-led cities in the country have seen violent crime decrease so far this year. Hes stoking racial division and stoking fear and chaos, Bibb said. We need someone who wants to be a collaborator, not a dictator. Democratic strategists acknowledge that Trumps GOP has enjoyed a significant advantage in recent years on the issues of crime and immigration issues Trump has long sought to connect. But as Democratic officials push back against the federal takeover in Washington, party strategists are offering cautious optimism that Trumps tactics will backfire. This is an opportunity for the party to go on offense on an issue that has plagued us for a long time, said veteran Democratic strategist Daniel Wessel. The facts are on our side. President Donald Trump speaks with members of law enforcement and National Guard soldiers, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) President Donald Trump speaks with members of law enforcement and National Guard soldiers, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A closer look at the numbersFBI statistics released this month show murder and nonnegligent manslaughter in the U.S. in 2024 fell nearly 15% from a year earlier, continuing a decline thats been seen since a coronavirus pandemic-era crime spike. Meanwhile, recent public polling shows that Republicans have enjoyed an advantage over Democrats on the issue of crime. A CNN/SSRS poll conducted in May found that about 4 in 10 U.S. adults said the Republican Partys views were closer to their own on crime and policing, while 3 in 10 said they were more aligned with Democrats views. About 3 in 10 said neither party reflected their opinions. Other polls conducted in the past few years found a similar gap.Trump also had a significant edge over Democrat Kamala Harris on the issue in the 2024 election. About half of voters said Trump was better able to handle crime.At the same time, Americans have expressed more concern about the scope of presidential power since Trump took office for a second time in January. An AP-NORC poll conducted in April found that about half of U.S. adults said the president has too much power in the way the U.S. government operates these days, up from 32% in March 2024. The unusual military presence in a U.S. city, which featured checkpoints across Washington staffed in some cases by masked federal agents, injected a sense of fear and chaos into daily life for some people in the nations capital. At least one day care center was closed Thursday as childcare staff feared the military action, which has featured a surge in immigration enforcement, while local officials raised concerns about next weeks public school openings. Moore said he would block any push by Trump to send the National Guard into Baltimore. I have not seen anything or any conditions on the ground that I think would justify the mobilization of our National Guard, he said. They think theyre winning the political argument. I dont give a s- about the political argument. ___AP writers Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux and Chris Megerian in Washington contributed. JILL COLVIN Colvin is an Associated Press national political reporter covering the 2024 presidential campaign. She is based in New York. mailto