Jamie Raskin: Crime in DC is not a real emergency

Jamie Raskin’s words come as no surprise: a mix of political revisionism and partisan rhetoric designed to discredit any action taken by President Trump, even when it falls squarely within the law and responds to a genuine security need. The congressman insists that “there is no emergency” because official crime figures are supposedly at their lowest point in 30 years. However, anyone who lives or works in D.C. knows that statistics can be manipulated, and that the public perception of insecurity—along with high-profile violent incidents—remains a constant concern.

The District of Columbia Home Rule Act clearly establishes that the president has the authority to declare a police emergency in cases involving federal matters. Washington, D.C., as the seat of the federal government, is a permanent target for riots, mass protests, and potential acts of violence. The deployment of the National Guard and the federal reinforcement of local police is not a whim; it is a preventive measure to ensure that the nation’s capital is not caught off guard in the face of a crisis, as has happened under other administrations.

Raskin, with political opportunism, tries to revive the events of January 6, 2021, to once again attack Trump, deliberately omitting testimonies and documents showing that the president did authorize additional resources, and that it was the Capitol’s own chain of command—including then–House Speaker Nancy Pelosi—that rejected certain preventive measures. His narrative that Trump “stood by and did nothing” is part of a partisan script that ignores the complexity of the response that day and the coordination failures between agencies that do not fall exclusively under the Executive Branch.

Furthermore, insinuating that this measure is a “smokescreen” to hide the so-called “Epstein files” is not only an evidence-free accusation, but also an example of the double standard the left operates under: when President Trump acts to protect D.C., he is accused of manufacturing crises; when he does not, he is accused of negligence. These kinds of political attacks are not aimed at protecting the city’s autonomy, but at obstructing any action that strengthens law and order under a Republican administration.

Ultimately, the temporary federalization and deployment of the National Guard in D.C. are responsible and lawful steps to ensure national security. If the left wants to debate transparency and files, they should start by demanding the same accountability from their own leaders that they demand from President Trump. The safety of citizens and federal institutions should not be held hostage to the political games of figures like Raskin.