Donald J Trump is correct that there is crime and bedlam in DC, but it’s mostly coming from his White House over my shoulder, not the folks out here on the streets.
I’ve worked on a number of events in many areas of DC over the past 20 years with a lot of local crew people and folks coming in from around the nation. I’ve never personally felt threatened anywhere or any time. If anything the level of security was pretty obvious and comforting. Thousands of people would not be traveling to DC and participating in these events if they felt unsafe.
If you set up a camera tripod in the wrong place without a permit or linger with your vehicle too long you usually get swarmed by Park or DC Police.
The other thing you witness, especially in the Mall area around the monuments and museums are lots of school groups and tourists on buses and walking….peacefully.
I have witnessed some homeless people and been approached by some for a little support.
One cold evening I took a homeless pregnant woman into a Burger King and bought her a meal. Another time I saw 2 fellows on some steps in the Chinatown area and they had a cardboard sign that said “we won’t lie to you, we just want to get high”. I thanked them for their honest approach but declined to contribute to their quest. They laughed and thanked me for talking with them.
This deployment of National Guard troops along with FBI and others is REALLY disturbing me and my local crew friends. We see and feel no need for it now. On Jan 6 it was needed. It’s the only time any of our friends have been attacked and their video equipment destroyed.
Trump could have used his power then….but sadly declined to do the right thing.
This week Trump stated that he wanted to “rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, squalor and worse…” he also mentioned clearing out the homeless.
My sense is that this is a false narrative. It’s first a display of who is in control and has the power. Second it’s about being able to stop or contain any kind of protests, especially near the White House and third a way to move the homeless totally out of DC. If we don’t see them, they don’t exist. It becomes more like Palm Beach. Perfect.
There’s been no riots in DC. There’s no roving gangs harassing people or out of control gun violence. We used to have events like this one…
But now we have Humvees and troops on the streets.
The only time I’ve ever experienced this kind of thing before was years ago in Caracas Venezuela with armed troops on every street corner and it freaked me out. I thought is this place so dangerous that this is what they need to do? How is the world tourism community going to react to this new visual of DC on their TV ? What will happen to the event planners who bring large conventions to DC ?
Or is it mostly that Trump is afraid of mass demonstrations like they’ve had in Venezuela and is prepping for that possibility ?
My hope is for us all is a return to sanity at the helm and a peaceful future.
Thanks for this report and observations.
Trump is terrified. He was an Epstein buddy for 10 to 15 years. Bondi has the full file - the grand jury gambit was a head fake.
Part of his base is furious. MAGA is fractured.
As Mulder said: "The truth is out there." It WILL be revealed.
The wounded old tiger is cornered. Watch him lash out.
Well said.