Fmr. Clinton Spox: ‘Many of Us in D.C Do Not Feel Like’ Trump’s Making Us Safer

HILL: “We know the president for two things. To your point, Shermichael, right, it is the feelings versus the facts. We saw that in the 2024 election, of course, when it came to the economy and how people actually felt about it despite the numbers. We know how challenging that was for Democrats, Karen. It’s also true that Donald Trump is —“
FINNEY: “Yeah.”
HILL: “— masterful when it comes to controlling a narrative. The question for you, which I know you’re sick of — but as we talk about the messaging —“
FINNEY: “Sure.”
HILL: “— are Democrats starting to find —“
FINNEY: “Yes.”
HILL: “— their footing here, or is this still a matter of straddling this line between not taking the bait and also hitting back?”
FINNEY: “Well, I think it’s about speaking to the concerns of the American people. And, you know, here’s what I would say. The way people are actually feeling, in some places, is they’re happy about the fact that crime rates are actually going down. I have seen it in my own neighborhood here in D.C. And so it’s really actually about being smart on crime. And Donald Trump always wants to make it about tough on crime and this performative — putting the National Guard on the streets. Many of us in D.C. do not feel like that’s actually making us safer. For 1) they’re not actually going to the places where crime is the worst. And if you look at cities like Baltimore, like Chicago, they’re not just blue cities. They’re also sanctuary cities and they’re also all cities run by black mayors and have large black and Latino populations. And in each of those places they’ve engaged in comprehensive criminal measures to reduce crime, to do — get guns off the streets. To do more cops programs and community policing — really similar to the conversation, frankly, we were having after the murder of George Floyd when we really were having a national conversation about what is smart on crime. And so, I think we also, if we’re going to have this conversation, have to acknowledge it’s Donald Trump who is actually currently defunding public safety and defunding the police because he’s already cut over $800 million out of all the programs and things that we know are working. A group of sheriffs actually wrote to the administration and said please don’t cut these programs because they’re working and they’re effective.”