CNN reported on August 21 that U.S. President Trump said that day he would expand the deployment of the National Guard and increase law enforcement efforts in the Washington area this month to other regions. He also visited the U.S. Park Police Department in Washington that day and strongly promoted his idea.

"We will ensure safety here, and then move to other areas, but we will stay here for a while," he told dozens of law enforcement officers and National Guard members gathered outside the facility. However, what Trump did not mention was that his actions earlier this month, which included federal government taking over the Washington D.C. Police Department and deploying the National Guard, caused considerable dissatisfaction among local residents.

Earlier, Trump had hinted at patrolling the streets of Washington with law enforcement officers, but he ultimately changed his plan to a more routine and safer meeting within the law enforcement agency facilities. A source informed CNN that Trump suddenly changed his mind, and even the U.S. Secret Service's Washington Field Office, responsible for protecting Trump, was unprepared for it.

Trump visiting the local police department and giving a speech, Associated Press

Trump arrived at the U.S. Park Police Department around 5:20 p.m. local time, accompanied by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, White House Chief of Staff Susan Rice, and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. He stayed there for about half an hour and brought hamburgers and pizza for the law enforcement officers. He praised them saying, "Everyone now feels very safe."

In response to Trump's schedule, Vice President Vance and Secretary of Defense Hegseth also visited a local restaurant during lunchtime to thank the National Guard deployed in the city that day. However, when Vance and others arrived, a large number of protesters shouted, "Shameful," "This is our city," and "Army out of our streets."

CNN also reported that although Trump has repeatedly condemned crime in the Washington area, the city's security situation this year is actually better than previous years. Nevertheless, Trump has deployed more than 1,900 National Guard members from various places to Washington. Trump also ordered the removal of homeless camps in the area. In response to critics' questions, Vance said, "Why do we think it's compassionate to allow people with obvious schizophrenia or other mental illnesses to roam the streets? Letting them die on the streets can't be considered compassionate?"

Additionally, although Trump said he wants to promote the measures he took in Washington, CNN stated that it might be difficult to implement them practically. Because Washington D.C. is a special administrative region not belonging to any state, it has significant limitations in autonomy, so Trump could directly take over its police force as president. Moreover, as the capital of the United States, Washington D.C. is under the jurisdiction of federal law enforcement agencies, which are far greater than those of other American cities.

Law enforcement officers have significantly increased on the streets of Washington, Bloomberg

When asked if the White House plans to deploy the National Guard to other cities, Vance remained noncommittal. "We focus on Washington D.C. because it's a city under federal jurisdiction. But of course, we hope that whether it's Atlanta or other regions, people can look around and say 'we don't have to live like this,' " Vance said. "We hope that after seeing our actions in the district, people across the country will follow suit."

As for whether other cities across the United States will really emulate Washington, CNN did not make a clear comment in its report, but listed a data point: A recent joint poll by The Washington Post and the Shal Institute found that 79% of Washington D.C. residents oppose the president's order for the federal government to take over the city's police department and to have the National Guard and FBI patrol the city.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7541231399396688419/

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