President Trump views Washington as run-down. He described the capital as unsafe and dirty. He said criminals threaten the city. Homelessness is also a problem. Trump wants to clean it up. He wants to make it beautiful again.
This view matches his ideas about cities. He sees American cities as violent. This idea started when he worked in New York. That was in the 1970s and 80s. Crime was high then. Trump announced federal control of DC police. He said his real estate background helps. He thinks he can stop crime and homelessness.
“It’s a natural instinct,” Trump told reporters. He compared fixing DC to fixing the White House. He said he is good at fixing things. He wants to remove trash and graffiti. He also wants to remove homeless people. Crime has actually gone down recently. Violent crime is at a 30-year low.
DC struggles with youth crime. Robberies and car thefts are issues. But overall crime has dropped a lot. In 2024, DC had about 1,005 violent crimes per 100,000 people. This is less than Memphis or Detroit. It is more than Denver or Seattle.
“We will make it beautiful,” Trump stated. “We will fix crime.” He believes his past experience is key.
Trump managed many failed businesses. His casinos went bankrupt. He often brought up crime to cause division. In 1989, he bought ads. He called for the death penalty. Five young men of color were accused. They were later cleared. Trump never said sorry.
His family business faced bias claims. They were accused of denying Black tenants. Trump sued the Justice Department. It called their bias claim defamation. This happened after the government sued his company in 1973.
As president, Trump stoked fears. He focused on cities run by Democrats. Critics say he ignored root causes. His policies hurt safety nets.