The Left always portrays crime as a mystery. It’s because of a lack of “equity,” it’s because people are just trying to feed their families, it’s because the system is unfair. The reality, however, is actually pretty simple: put enough law enforcement in the places where crime occurs, hold those who commit it accountable, and if they keep doing it, keep them behind bars.
Consequences work, and they always have.
For further proof, all we have to do is look at Washington, D.C. It’s always been embarrassing that our nation’s capital is a hotbed of violence and criminal activity, so much so that we have lawmakers getting carjacked in broad daylight. That certainly is a ding to our credibility on the world stage.
But guess what? Crime is down in the Swamp — dramatically — a fact that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum applauded on Monday:
The results speak for themselves! Thank you @POTUS and @usparkpolicepio for all you are doing to keep D.C. Safe and Beautiful! https://t.co/gzdCpXZW10
— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) April 20, 2026
Our sister site Townhall reported on the numbers Saturday. Homicides have seen a deep decline:
The number of homicides in Washington, D.C., has dropped steeply after President Donald Trump sent the National Guard to clean up the city in August 2025.
There have been 20 homicides in 2026 so far in the nation’s capital, which is a 52 percent drop compared to 42 homicides recorded in the same time period of 2025, according to D.C. police statistics.
In all of 2025, the city recorded 127 homicides. The city recorded 187 homicides in 2024.
But it’s not just homicides; look at the overall crime numbers:
Data show that many categories of violent crime have plunged as of four months into 2026. Homicides are down 52 percent, sex abuse is down 48 percent, robbery is down 23 percent, and motor vehicle theft is down 56 percent.
All crime is down 25 percent.
President Donald Trump detailed his approach to the issue in this August 2025 clip, when he sent National Guard troops in to patrol the city. The Democrats shrieked and wailed, screaming “racism!” at the top of their lungs, but what was the predictable result? Show no tolerance for crime, and impose consequences on the perpetrators, and it goes down.
Who would have thunk? You spit, and we hit:
Trump on fighting DC crime: “See, they fight back until you knock the hell out of them because it's the only language they understand... They're not going to be fighting back for long.”
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) August 11, 2025
pic.twitter.com/4n6GcK0U3S
MORE: Pres. Trump Honors WV National Guardsman Ambushed in D.C. Terror Attack With Purple Heart
Kash Patel: Work Will Continue in D.C. Until 'Every Community Is Safe'
Although you don’t hear about it as much, 2,500 Guardsmen are still patrolling the streets, and there’s no end in sight. The results are hard to argue with (although liberals almost certainly will).
While the guard members do not make arrests, the Trump administration argues their support to the broader mission has helped reduce crime. The White House said 12,000 arrests have been made by the task force since operations began, including 62 known gang members, and thousands of illegal firearms were seized.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said the president’s crime task force in the city has “yielded tremendous results for local communities.”
Turns out crime is not nearly as complicated as the Left and the media would tell you. Make people pay a price for their actions, and they will quickly find alternative activities that aren’t as painful to their lifestyles.
Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law and order agenda.
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