(The Center Square) – Tuesday marks one year since President Donald Trump declared “Liberation Day” in Washington, D.C., leading to the deployment of the National Guard and the beautification of the nation’s capital.
On a typical, hot and humid Washington morning in August 2025, The Center Square was present in the White House briefing room that day, noting it was jammed packed with journalists stacked on top of each other awaiting the president’s briefing, as murmurs from some journalists in the room recounted personal and secondhand encounters with crime in the district, including muggings and property theft.
kAm%CF>A 6?E6C65 E96 C@@>[ 7=2?<65 3J D@>6 @7 9:D E@A 423:?6E D64C6E2C:6D 2?5 25>:?:DEC2E@CD[ :?4=F5:?8 $64C6E2CJ @7 (2C !6E6 w68D6E9[ E96?\pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= !2> q@?5:[ $64C6E2CJ @7 E96 x?E6C:@C s@F8 q6C8F>[ 2?5 uqx s:C64E@C z2D9 !2E6=[ 564=2C:?8 2 4C:>6 6>6C86?4J :? E96 5:DEC:4E[ 2??@F?4:?8 E96 56A=@J>6?E @7 E96 }2E:@?2= vF2C5 E@ 4FC3 4C:>6]k^Am
kAm%96 AC6D:56?E 4=2:>65 E96 4:EJ 925 366? A=28F65 H:E9 “4C:>6[ 3=@@5D965[ 365=2> 2?5 DBF2=@C[ 2?5 H@CD6]” %96 AC6D:56?E 2AA62C65 E@ 92G6 925 6?@F89[ 6IAC6DD:?8 6>32CC2DD>6?E 2D H@C=5 =6256CD G:D:E65 E96 5:DEC:4E[ H:E9 6J6D 7:I65 @? 9@>6=6DD 6?42>A>6?ED[ 56E6C:@C2E:?8 :?7C2DECF4EFC6[ 2?5 8C277:E:]k^Am
kAm%96 AC6D:56?E 96=5 FA 492CED 4@>A2C:?8 E96 5:DEC:4E’D 9@>:4:56 C2E6 E@ @E96C 4:E:6D 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5[ ?@E:?8 :E H2D 9:896C E92? E92E @7 @E96C 42A:E2= 4:E:6D] %96 (9:E6 w@FD6 C6=62D65 2 724E D966E D9@H:?8 E96 5:DEC:4E’D a_ac >FC56C C2E6 A6C `__[___ :? 4@>A2C:D@? E@ @E96C ?2E:@?D’ 42A:E2=D] p>6C:42 =65 E96 A24<[ ?62C=J 5@F3=6 D64@?5\A=246 q@8@E2[ r@=@>3:2[ 7@==@H65 3J |6I:4@ r:EJ[ |6I:4@[ 2?5 xD=2>2325[ !2<:DE2?]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D {:36C2E:@? s2J :? s]r][ 2?5 H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ E2<6 @FC 42A:E2= 324<[” D2:5 E96 AC6D:56?E] Q(6’C6 E2<:?8 :E 324< F?56C E96 2FE9@C:E:6D G6DE65 :? >6 2D E96 !C6D:56?E @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] x’> @77:4:2==J :?G@<:?8 D64E:@? fc_ @7 E96 s:DEC:4E @7 r@=F>3:2 #F=6 p4E]Qk^Am
kAm%96 AC6D:56?E A@:?E65 E@ D6G6C2= 6I2>A=6D @7 G:@=6?46[ :?4=F5:?8 7@C>6C %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? @77:4:2= |:<6 v:==[ H9@ H2D D9@E 2?5 <:==65 :? s]r] 2D A2CE @7 2 42C;24<:?8 DAC66 :? a_ac]k^Am
kAm$:?46 E96 pF8] ``[ a_ad[ kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?2E:@?2=^2CE:4=60b4dbe47h\be`a\ceda\2`a4\ab7ee2he67bb]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm“{:36C2E:@? s2J” 2??@F?46>6?Ek^2mk^DEC@?8m[ DEC66ED 24C@DD E96 5:DEC:4E 4@?E:?F6 E@ 36 A2EC@==65 3J E96 }2E:@?2= vF2C5[ H:E9 E96 AC6D:56?E D2J:?8 96 H@F=5 =:<6 E96> E@ C6>2:? E9C@F89 9:D E6C>[ H:E9 E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 (2C 6DE:>2E:?8 :E 4@F=5 4@DE S`]c 3:==:@? E@ 6IE6?5 E96 56A=@J>6?E E9C@F89 y2?F2CJ a_ah]k^Am
kAm%96 4C:>6 4C24<5@H? :? s]r] 2AA62CD E@ 36 H@C<:?8[ 2D 6G:56?465 3J E96 ?F>36CD] %96 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>A54]54]8@G^52:=J4C:>6Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm|6EC@A@=:E2? !@=:46 s6A2CE>6?E C6A@CEDk^2mk^DEC@?8m E92E @G6C2== 4C:>6 :D 5@H? a_T :? E96 =2DE J62C[ H:E9 9@>:4:56 C2E6D 5@H? baTj C@336CJ 5@H? `eTj >@E@C G69:4=6 E967ED 5@H? dbTj E967E 7C@> 2FE@ 5@H? beTj 2?5 E@E2= AC@A6CEJ 4C:>6 5@H? aaT]k^Am
kAmx? 2 D?2AD9@E 7C@> E96 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]H>2E2]4@>^23@FE^@A6?\52E2\9F3^C:56CD9:A\52E2^52:=J\C:56CD9:A\52D93@2C5]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm(2D9:?8E@? |6EC@A@=:E2? pC62 %C2?D:E pFE9@C:EJk^2mk^DEC@?8m[ C:56CD9:A :D FA 7C@> @?6 J62C 28@] ~? yF=J b_[ a_ad[ |6EC@ C2:= =@8865 cha[egh 3@2C5:?8Dj @? yF=J b_[ a_ae[ :E =@8865 d`g[bh_ 3@2C5:?8D] |6EC@ 3FD 2=D@ D2H 2 C:D6[ H:E9 bda[ach C:56CD @? yF=J b_[ a_ad[ 4@>A2C65 E@ be_[_b` @? yF=J b_[ a_ae]k^Am
kAm(66<D 367@C6 E96 “{:36C2E:@? s2J” 2??@F?46>6?E[ E96 AC6D:56?E =2:5 E96 7@F?52E:@? 7@C 4C24<:?8 5@H? @? 9@>6=6DD 6?42>A>6?ED 24C@DD E96 5:DEC:4E E9C@F89 E96 D:8?:?8 @7 2? 6I64FE:G6 @C56C 2:>65 2E 4C24<:?8 5@H? @? 9@>6=6DD?6DD]k^Am
kAm$:?46 E96 4C:>6 6>6C86?4J H2D 564=2C65 2?5 E96 6I64FE:G6 @C56C H2D D:8?65[ (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r] 92D D66? 2 h]bT 564C62D6 :? F?D96=E6C65 C6D:56?ED[ 2D kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^DEC66ED6?D6>65:2]@C8^2CE:4=6^9@>6=6DD?6DD\C:D6D\:?\5\4\G:C8:?:2\5C@AD\:?\>2CJ=2?5^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmC6A@CE65 3J $EC66E $6?D6 |65:2k^2mk^DEC@?8m[ ?@E:?8 E96 “564=:?6 >2J C67=64E E96 :>A24E @7 !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A’D 7656C2= E2<6@G6C] s6DA:E6 E96 564C62D6 :? E96 ?F>36C @7 F?D96=E6C65 :?5:G:5F2=D[ s]r] C6A@CE65=J D2H 2 c]cT :?4C62D6 :? 9@>6=6DD :?5:G:5F2=D 7C@> a_ad]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ 4C24<:?8 5@H? @? 4C:>6[ E96 AC6D:56?E’D “{:36C2E:@? s2J” 2??@F?46>6?E A2G65 E96 H2J 7@C 2 %CF>A C6?2:DD2?46 :? E96 5:DEC:4E[ 2:>:?8 E@ 362FE:7J E96 4:EJ 3J 4=62C:?8 @FE 9@>6=6DD 6?42>A>6?ED[ C6DE@C:?8 D@>6 @7 E96 4:EJ’D 7@C8@EE6? 23@FE =2?5>2C<D[ 2?5 D6EE:?8 @FE E@ 4@?DECF4E >@?F>6?ED 2?5 255:E:@?D E@ E96 (9:E6 w@FD6]k^Am
kAm{625:?8 FA E@ E96 ?2E:@?’D ad_E9 3:CE952J 46=63C2E:@?[ E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? @G6CD2H E96 C6DE@C2E:@? @7 aa 7@F?E2:?D 2?5 ag DE2EF6D 24C@DD E96 ?2E:@?’D 42A:E2=]k^Am
kAmx? pF8FDE a_ad[ E96 AC6D:56?E E@=5 C6A@CE6CD E92E 96 H2D C6BF6DE:?8 23@FE Sa 3:==:@? 7C@> r@?8C6DD E@ 4=62? FA E96 4:EJ] w@H6G6C[ 96’D 4=2:>65 AC:G2E6 7F?5D H:== 2=D@ 36 FD65 E@ 3F:=5 @?6 @7 E96 (9:E6 w@FD6’D >@DE D:8?:7:42?E 255:E:@?D[ E96 32==C@@> 2?5 2 96=:A25 4FCC6?E=J F?56C 4@?DECF4E:@? @? E96 $@FE9 {2H?]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? :D D66<:?8 S` 3:==:@? :? E2IA2J6C 7F?5D 7@C D64FC:EJ 6?92?46>6?ED E@ E96 32==C@@>[ :?4=F5:?8 2 =2?5:?8 A25 7@C 5C@?6D 2?5 2? 6IE6?D:G6 F?56C8C@F?5 >:=:E2CJ 4@>A=6I]k^Am
kAm%CF>A 2=D@ A=2?D E@ 3F:=5 2 ad_\7@@E %C:F>A92= pC49 36EH66? |6>@C:2= qC:586 2?5 pC=:?8E@? }2E:@?2= r6>6E6CJ[ 56D4C:365 3J E96 }2E:@?2= !2C< $6CG:46 2D 2 “>@?F>6?E2= DECF4EFC6 9@?@C:?8 E96 ?2E:@?’D ad_E9 2??:G6CD2CJ]”k^Am
kAm“sC2H:?8 @? E96 9:DE@C:4 #@>2? AC64656?E @7 6C64E:?8 7C66DE2?5:?8 2C496D E@ 46=63C2E6 4:G:4 249:6G6>6?E[ E96 pC49 :D 6?G:D:@?65 2D 2 AC@>:?6?E 255:E:@? E@ E96 42A:E2=D 2C49:E64EFC2= =2?5D42A6 :? E96 >@?F>6?E2= 4@C6[” E96 A2C< D6CG:46 25565]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2I:@D]4@>^a_ad^``^_d^ECF>A\a\3:==:@?\7F?5C2:D:?8\3:?86Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmpI:@Dk^2mk^DEC@?8m 6DE:>2E6D E96 2C49 4@F=5 4@DE 2D >F49 2D S`__ >:==:@? E@ 4@?DECF4E]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 %CF>A 92D E@FE65 E96 4C:>6 EFC?2C@F?5 2?5 362FE:7:42E:@? @7 E96 5:DEC:4E :? E96 =2DE J62C[ 96 92D?’E CF=65 @FE E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 D66<:?8 E@ C6D4:?5 E96 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^544@F?4:=]8@G^54\9@>6\CF=6^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qms:DEC:4E @7 r@=F>3:2 w@>6 #F=6 p4E @7 `hfbk^2m[k^DEC@?8m H9:49kDEC@?8m k^DEC@?8mH2D 6?24E65 3J r@?8C6DD 2?5 C2E:7:65 3J s]r] G@E6CD] %96 24E 82G6 E96 5:DEC:4E C6D:56?ED =:>:E65 2FE@?@>J @G6C =@42= 2772:CD[ 2==@H:?8 E96> E@ 6=64E =@42= =6256CD[ :?4=F5:?8 >2J@CD 2?5 4@F?4:= >6>36CD]k^Am
kAm%96 AC6D:56?E C6>2:?D F?46CE2:? 23@FE E96 5:DEC:4E’D A@=:E:42= 7FEFC6 2D (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r][ AC6A2C6D E@ 6=64E 2 ?6H >2J@C[ H:E9 s6>@4C2E:4 42?5:52E6 y2?66D6 {6H:D v6@C86[ 2 D6=7\56D4C:365 56>@4C2E:4 D@4:2=:DE[ 2 =:<6=J 72G@C:E6 E@ H:? E96 C246[ 2D E96 5:DEC:4E :D 962G:=J s6>@4C2E:4]k^Am
