President Trump deployed the National Guard in Washington, D.C., and is threatening to do so in other American cities. On this episode of “The Opinions,” the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle is joined by the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French to debate what Trump is really talking about when he talks about crime and the risks of using the military as a police force.
Below is a transcript of an episode of “The Opinions.” We recommend listening to it in its original form for the full effect. You can do so using the player above or on the NYT Audio app, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.
The transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Michelle Cottle: We’re going to talk about President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in my backyard and his taking control of the Washington, D.C., Metro Police force.
Trump claims he’s doing this because of a public safety emergency here in the District, though in fact, violent crime is at a 30-year low. But I have lived here for more than 30 years. I am well aware of Washington’s long-term crime issues, and you know what’s not going to help? Cheap political theater.
So there’s a lot to get into here. But first, the requisite time stamp. We’re recording this on Wednesday morning, so all this news is still fresh. People are trying to figure things out. The situation is fluid, so who knows — by the time this reaches your ears, Trump may have indeed saved Washington from what he has called our bloodshed, bedlam and squalor.
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The post Trump’s Political Theater Won’t Save D.C. appeared first on New York Times.
