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Black mayors across the country are pushing back against President Donald Trump's claims that Washington, D.C. and other Black-led cities are crime-ridden and in need of federal intervention, per Associated Press.
Last week, Trump announced his plans to deploy the National Guard and take over Washington D.C.'s police department for 30 days, citing what he called an “out-of-control crime wave." The president also threatened to send federal forces to other Black-led cities like Oakland, Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Chicago, accusing them of failing to contain violent crime. However, recent data shows violent crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low, contradicting Trump's "rampant lawlessness" claims.
Members of the African American Mayors Association say their cities are being targeted by Trump because of race and party affiliation.
“It gives us an opportunity to say we need to amplify our voices to confront the rhetoric that crime is just running rampant around major U.S. cities. It’s just not true,” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, president of the association, said in a statement. “It’s not supported by any evidence or statistics whatsoever.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said there's been a 30 percent drop in homicides and a nearly 40 percent decrease in shootings over the past year.
“Historic progress,” he noted.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reported a 14 percent drop in homicides. Bass slammed Trump’s takeover as “a performative power grab.”
“Trump is using crime as a wedge issue and dog whistle,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. “He has actively undermined efforts that are saving lives.”
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said there's been a 21 percent drop in homicides and a 29 percent decrease in all violent crime in the first half of this year in her city.
“We’re on the right track,” she said.
Many mayors argue that the threat of federal intervention is politically motivated.
“It was not lost on any member of our organization that the mayors either were Black or perceived to be Democrats,” Van Johnson said. “That’s unfortunate.”
Instead of troops, Black mayors are calling for federal resources for cybercrime, multistate investigations, and gun trafficking.
“Black mayors are resilient,” Johnson said. “We are intrinsically children of struggle. We learn to adapt quickly, and I believe that we will and we are.”
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