Today, Explained Trump's "tough on crime" spree
104 snips
Sep 2, 2025 
Olivia George, a reporter from The Washington Post, and Andrew Prokop, a writer from Vox, dive into Donald Trump's controversial claims about crime in D.C. They unpack the stark contrast between Trump's assertions and actual crime statistics, highlighting local officials' more optimistic perspectives. The duo also explores how crime has become a political strategy for Trump, influencing voter trust. They discuss the challenges Democrats face in countering this narrative and the implications for urban safety policies.
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Short Answer: He Didn’t Fix Crime
- Olivia George says the short answer is that Trump did not solve crime in D.C.
- She notes the White House lauds a 12-day stretch without a homicide while that pattern has happened before.
Spectacle Over Targeted Policing
- Reporters described National Guard troops doing visible, sometimes trivial tasks like picking up trash.
- Residents in high-crime neighborhoods rarely saw those forces deployed where they lived.
Arrests Without Transparency
- The White House touted 1,283 arrests but provided few specifics about charges or locations.
- That lack of transparency fuels resident frustration and skepticism about the surge's impact.