“We Are Anti-Federal Chaos”: Democratic Cities in Trump’s Counter DC and LA | American Politics

When the tank goes down Washington, DC Oppose the will of local leaders, the will of national mayors, plan what they will do Trump administration Next is theirs.

Donald TrumpDuring his 2024 campaign, he was dismissed by the Democratic-run cities. The president vowed to take over DC – a promise he was trying to fulfill this week. Earlier this year send Despite California, the National Guard went to Los Angeles Forces during protests be opposed to This move leads to litigation From the country.

City leaders say the federal government has appropriate ways to work with them to solve problems like crime, but Trump is using the excuse of crime to cover his local authorities idlely, create chaos and distract from the bruising news cycle about him relation To Jeffrey Epstein.

Many cities have been working to reduce violent crime rates – in most large cities, they are declining, although the mayor admits they still have efforts to improve the lives of their residents.

President Trump continues to create a narrative Seattle Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said: “We are home to great communities and great businesses, it’s not a hole in freedom, we are illegal, it’s not a fact. So his view of our city doesn’t match reality. It’s a presidential failure to disperse the American people.”

Some noted that by sending troops, Trump may be escalating his crimes, leading to distrust of the administration and creating insecurity for residents and service members.

Even the Republican mayor or mayor of the Red State said they disagree with Trump’s usurping local control for difficult reasons. The U.S. Mayors’ Conference is currently led by Oklahoma City’s Republican Mayor David Holt, who opposed Trump’s takeover of DC, saying “local control is always the best.”

“From a variety of ideological backgrounds, these mayors across the country prefer their cities than their ideology,” Mayor Jacob Frey Minneapolis.

The mayor told the Guardian that if Trump knocks on the door, they are ready to stand up legally and otherwise for their city. They are working with the Chief of Police to ensure that they have reached consensus on the chain of command and coordinated with the governor with the National Guard. As Trump often proposes plans to crack down on cities, large democratic cities have been developing strategies with emergency planning departments and city lawyers.

But Trump shows that he is willing to bend and break the law in his pursuit of the city. The Pentagon is It is said that Plans to station the National Guard in Alabama and Arizona are ready to deploy to turbulent cities. He said this was just the beginning of an attack on the city. His attorney general gave letters to many democratic cities this week. threaten Local leaders would arrest them if they did not cooperate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement.

Brett Smiley, Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, said the idea that there are multiple reasons why it may be on the ground in cities across the United States should warn people.

“It’s not something we should be used to, and we shouldn’t let this government violate another norm or standard in society, so we won’t think twice after a few years from now on,” Smiley said.

Why Trump follows the city

The roots of Trump’s battle with the city can be traced back to his first administration and coincide with the shared narrative on the right, which deals with the right today’s degenerate of the city due to liberal policies. Project 2025The conservative blueprint calls for crackdowns on cities, including withholding federal funds to force compliance with deportation plans.

His campaign promise include Committed to “deploy federal assets including the National Guard to restore laws and orders when local law enforcement refuses to take action”. exist video From 2023, he explained: “In cities that are completely in violation of law and order, the basic rights of our citizens have been violated by inviolable violations and I will not hesitate to send federal assets, including the National Guard, until security is restored.”

In 2020, he It is said that Hopefully, he will be more difficult and faster in the demonstrations after George Floyd’s murder. Now, he is using smaller issues – Anti-immigrants protest and crime Oppose Government Employees – Declare an emergency.

Minneapolis began protests after a policeman killed Floyd, sometimes placing Trump in a rundown city. Frey, a Democrat, said he didn’t know if the 2020 protests played a role in Trump’s current actions.

“I don’t think anyone can pretend to know Donald Trump’s mind,” Frey told the Guardian. “It’s totally an idiot. I don’t know what he’s thinking. I don’t know what he’s thinking or what rhyme or reason is. I mean, obviously, people are focusing on cities where democratic action is.”

When Trump yells out other cities on the radar, he named the blue city run by a black mayor – BaltimoreOakland, Los Angeles, Chicago.

“The president, led by the black mayor and all the others called on Sunday have made historic progress in crime, but they are the people called – it tells you everything you need to know,” Baltimore’s mayor Brandon Scott said in a news call this week.

DC is different

The federal government can often work with cities to resolve crimes – several Democratic mayors point out that they have successfully worked with the Biden administration. However, these partnerships are mutually agreed, not coverage of local policing.

“We are not anti-federal help. We are anti-federal chaos,” Frey said.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement that his city has seen its lowest homicides, shootings and carjacking over more than 50 years, attributes the collaboration with federal agencies and U.S. attorneys to a major part of this success.

“This partnership is simple and effective: DPD has carried out policing and the Federal Reserve’s support for federal prosecution,” Dugan said. “We are grateful for our partnership today and there is no reason to want to change it.”

Scott said the mayor is not saying they have addressed the violent crime problem, although they admit they have reduced the violent crime problem and will continue to work to reduce it further. “We need people who really want to help us do that, rather than trying to seize and expressively and make us something beyond democracy for all of us to come home.”

Mayors across the United States at Trump Washington, DC Compared with other cities. Washington had a law in the Domestic Rule Act of 1973 that allowed the president to take over his police station temporarily in case of emergency, even though Trump was the first to use that power. Other cities have no similar concepts in law.

Even with the Domestic Rule Act, Washington officials filed a lawsuit after attempting to replace the city’s police chief, saying the president is conducting “hostile takeover” of DC police. Trump and the city agree To reduce Friday’s federal takeover, keep the Washington, D.C. police chief in place.

“We know when people want to say they will be dictators on the first day, and they never volunteer to give up their wishes on the next day,” lawyer Norm Eisen often sued Trump administrationsaid in this week’s news call. “That’s what you see on the streets of the District of Columbia.”

The city is preparing

Frey in Minneapolis said the city has set up operational plans with police, fire and emergency management and is legally ready.

“We and my police chief are locked, and he reported to the security commissioner who reported to me,” Frey said. “There is no lack of clarity on the way this reporting structure works, and certainly not Donald Trump. Doing something similar in Minneapolis is just a blatant illegal usurpation of local control, if it happens here. Of course, we will take immediate action to get the ban.”

Trump’s decision to send the National Guard to Los Angeles is also legally questionable. The governor usually directs the guards. California Governor Gavin Newsom, Prosecution Trump uses the military to enforce domestic law in order to ignore the POSSE COMITATUS law. The case is The judge heard This week.

Harrell of Seattle said he believes he will be able to protect his police department and the city’s residents if Trump sends troops.

“What I want to do is make sure that the people within my jurisdiction are confident in their ability to over-confront him and that our legal department is well suited to improve our legal argument,” he said.

Scott of Baltimore said he was ready to take all actions “legal and otherwise.”

Still, there is some uncertainty and instability in how cities react if Trump calls on the National Guard.

“It’s hard to know what our choice is because we’re in an uncharacteristic area here,” said Providence’s smiley face. “It’s unprecedented and I don’t know my choice is to prevent troops from coming in, and it’s me trying to show that it’s unnecessary, it’s not wanted, and it’s one of the reasons why I’m trying to be so proactive.”