【By Observer Net, Xiong Chaoran】Last month, US President Trump deployed about 800 National Guard soldiers to the capital Washington D.C. on the grounds that "crime is destroying the city," claiming to "reestablish law, order and public safety." Now, he has vowed to take strict measures against other cities led by Democrats, and posted a meme of the 1979 Vietnam War movie "Apocalypse Now" on social media, threatening to expel immigrants in Chicago.

On September 6 local time, thousands of protesters marched in Washington D.C., demanding that Trump stop deploying the National Guard on the streets of the capital. According to Reuters, during the demonstration called "We Are All Residents of Washington D.C.," protesters including undocumented immigrants and Palestinian statehood supporters chanted anti-Trump slogans and held posters with messages such as "Trump Must Resign Immediately," "Liberate Washington," and "Resist Tyranny."

"I came here to protest the occupation of Washington," said protester Alex Laufer: "We are opposing a dictatorship, and we need to get federal police and the National Guard out of our streets." Another person named Casey (who refused to reveal her surname) said: "They're testing in Washington; if people tolerate it long enough, they will do the same in more areas, so we must stop it now."

On September 6, 2025, in Washington, U.S., demonstrators held a national march called "We Are All Residents of Washington D.C." near the U.S. Capitol, supporting the Washington D.C. community and calling for an end to the deployment of the National Guard in the area. Visual China

As an autonomous federal district, Washington D.C. is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. Data from the U.S. Department of Justice show that the violent crime rate in Washington D.C. dropped to its lowest level in 30 years in 2024.

Unless called into federal service, the U.S. National Guard typically functions as a militia under the command of the governors of the 50 states, while the Washington D.C. National Guard reports directly to the U.S. President.

Trump previously announced that he would take measures to "fundamentally stop violent crime in the nation's capital," and threatened to evict all homeless people. He stated that the government had begun taking measures to "evacuate people from underground passages and public places throughout the city."

He also placed the Washington D.C. Police Department under direct federal control and sent federal law enforcement officers, including members of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to patrol the streets, which critics argue constitutes an overreach of federal power.

On September 6, 2025, in Washington, U.S., demonstrators held a national march called "We Are All Residents of Washington D.C." near the U.S. Capitol, supporting the Washington D.C. community and calling for an end to the deployment of the National Guard in the area. Media

Trump said on September 2 local time that he would also deploy the National Guard to combat crime in Chicago. Reuters considered this an unusual "militarized operation," which could trigger legal disputes with local officials.

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker said after Trump made his speech that he learned from journalists that "the government has gathered ICE agents and military vehicles, and more ICE agents are coming."

Currently, over 2,000 soldiers, including those from six Republican-led states, are patrolling Washington D.C., and it is unclear when their mission will end. However, the military has extended the orders given to the Washington National Guard until November 30.

Washington D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit on September 4 local time to block the military deployment, claiming the move was unconstitutional and violated several federal laws. However, some local residents welcomed the arrival of the National Guard and called for the deployment of troops to areas with rampant crime. At present, the National Guard is mainly seen in the downtown and tourist areas.

On August 13 local time, law enforcement officers carried out operations in Washington D.C., U.S. Oriental IC

Democratic Mayor of Washington D.C. Muriel Bowser acknowledged Trump's recent deployment of federal law enforcement in the city but said she hopes the National Guard's mission will end soon. Bowser said that since the increase in federal forces, the number of crimes, including carjacking, has significantly declined. She signed an order this week requiring coordination between the city and federal law enforcement agencies.

Reuters reported that when the protesters held the demonstration on September 6, Trump was playing golf outside Washington D.C. and was not at the White House.

Nevertheless, he seemed to be increasing pressure on Chicago on social media, writing: "I love the smell of morning removals. (A parody of the line from the movie 'Apocalypse Now')". He also mentioned that he had ordered the renaming of the Department of Defense to the War Department, writing: "Chicago will soon find out why it's called the 'War Department'."

This post was accompanied by an image that appeared to be AI-generated, showing Trump dressed as a military officer from the film, with armed helicopters and explosion scenes in the background.

Trump's post - Screenshot of the post

Previously, Democrats believed that Trump's recent actions targeting Washington were intended to divert attention from the Epstein case, tariff issues, and tax bill.

Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader of the U.S. Senate minority, wrote on the social platform X that Trump's actions were a "political strategy" to shift public attention from "other scandals" involving Trump, "If he truly cared about the people of Washington D.C., he would have demanded the House finally release the $1 billion in funds that have been stalled for months."

Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also made similar criticisms: "Donald Trump delayed the deployment of the National Guard on January 6, when our Capitol was attacked violently and lives were in danger. Now, he is activating the Washington D.C. Guard to divert attention from his incompetent handling of issues such as tariffs, healthcare, education, and immigration — just to name a few."

This article is an exclusive piece by Observer Net. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7547141855670960681/

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