WASHINGTON, D.C. — Violent crimes, especially carjackings, have fallen dramatically in the nation’s capital since President Donald Trump began a crackdown three weeks ago.
“Fortunately, under President Trump’s leadership, we’re seeing real progress as crime rates start dropping and residents feel more secure,” U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming, told Cowboy State Daily.
Her comments followed a Wednesday press conference held by D.C. municipal officials, where Mayor Muriel Bowser compared crime rates from Aug. 7 through Aug. 26 this year with the same period in 2024.
Violent crimes overall plummeted 45%, she said. That includes an 87% drop in carjackings — from 31 to four. Property crimes are down 12%.
Trump three weeks ago took control of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under emergency powers. He also put National Guard troops on the streets along with more personnel from the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Park Police and ICE.
"We greatly appreciate the surge in officers that enhance what MPD has been able to do in this city," Bowser said.
Immigration Enforcement
Despite praise for the anti-crime effort, Bowser acknowledged tensions between city leaders and Trump over ICE arrests of immigrants who are in the country illegally but have not been accused of anything else.
A new poll by the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found Trump with better numbers on crime than on immigration.
On crime, the national poll released Wednesday showed Trump with a 53% approval rating among Republicans, Democrats and independents combined. On immigration, the corresponding figure is 44%.
Republicans overwhelmingly approved of Trump on both crime and immigration — 88% and 80%, respectively.
Trump, members of his Cabinet and congressional Republicans have continuously linked illegal immigration with murders and rapes, often associated with drug cartels and gangs.
No one disputes many such overlaps, reflected by federal laws enacted this year with bipartisan support including the Laken Riley Act and the HALT Fentanyl Act.
However, Reuters reported Wednesday that about one-third of ICE arrests so far this year involved immigration violations only with no other current charges and no prior convictions. Some of these arrests have occurred in Home Depot parking lots, where day laborers gather, along with car washes, restaurants, farms and construction sites.
Trump said in June that he might soften illegal immigration policies for two of Wyoming’s top industries — agriculture and hospitality. But the president hasn't yet followed up on that announcement.
According to the Reuters report, ICE agents are grappling with “burnout and frustration” as they struggle to meet the quota of 3,000 daily arrests.
Hageman: ‘Real Change’
U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyoming, noted that Bowser attributed the D.C. drop in crime to the influx of officers.
“Thanks to President Trump's lawful federal intervention in Washington, D.C., we are seeing real change happen in our nation's capital for the first time in years,” Hageman told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday.
Hageman said the numbers show “proof of a safer environment for visitors and residents.”
“It is an entirely appropriate intervention and successful to reclaim our capital's safety and vitality,” Hageman said.
Added Lummis: “The nation's capital should be a place where families from Wyoming and all across America can safely visit and experience our country's history.”
U.S. Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming echoed the remarks of Lummis and Hageman.
“Our nation’s capital is now a safer place for all Americans to visit because of President Trump’s commitment to law and order," Barrasso told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday. "Democrat-run cities across the country should take note. This is the impact of enforcing the law rather than coddling criminals.”
Trump used a provision in the D.C. Home Rule Act of 1973 to take control of the MPD for 30 days. If he wants an extension, as he previously said he does, an act of Congress would be required.
Both the House and Senate are due to reconvene Sept. 2 after a monthlong recess. If legislation is introduced to extend Trump’s authority, Democrats who vote against it run the risk of wearing the soft-on-crime label in the midterm elections, some pundits say.
On crime, Wednesday’s AP-NORC poll showed Democrats giving Trump an approval rating of just 16%. Independents were almost evenly split between approval and disapproval of Trump on that issue.
Still, 81% of total respondents said crime is a “major problem” in large cities. That shows many Democrats object to Trump himself or his approach, rather than Trump’s premise that urban crime is too high.
Sean Barry can be reached at sean@cowboystatedaily.com.
