As RedState documented earlier, one of many talking points Democrats and the media have been using over the issue of crime in D.C. and President Trump's federalizing of law enforcement is that if Trump and Republicans cared so much about crime, then why aren't they calling in the National Guard in red states that have crime issues?
It's an attempted gotcha, of course, and one that CNN "Inside Politics" anchor Dana Bash tried on Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) with no success on Wednesday regarding crime in Memphis, as we previously reported.
"Are you OK with your state's National Guard resources being used to deter crime here in Washington, and why not in your home state?" she asked. Burchett calmly responded by noting that " [Memphis is] not a federally created environment. Washington, D.C., is a federally created environment. It is our nation's capital." Further, he pointed out that "it is within the president's constitutional purview" to take the actions he did earlier this month to curb crime.
READ MORE: Tim Burchett Nukes Ridiculous Democrat/Media Talking Point on National Guard in D.C.
Another one who has been using this fractured line of argument is California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D).
In a recent interview with a far-left YouTuber/MSNOW contributor, Brian Tyler Cohen, Newsom had a mini-meltdown over the audacity of Trump to want to keep the people of this country safe from the type of violent criminals and repeat offenders that have plagued blue states like California and cities like D.C. for decades thanks to soft on crime Democrats like Newsom (language warning):
I think he should start with Shreveport, Louisiana, and Speaker Johnson's district, that has six-plus times the per capita murder rate of Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco. What about the carnage, Mr. President, in Shreveport? Why aren't you protecting the folks there? Eight of the top ten murder states in this country are red states. What bulls**t. And everyone knows it.
Newsom, who locked down his state during the COVID pandemic and who oversaw people getting arrested for the crime of going to the beach - while he clinked glasses at trendy establishments like the French Laundry maskless with scores of other people and as other Democrat "leaders" in the Golden State flouted the draconian rules - went on to accuse Trump of "authoritarianism."
Watch:
If Donald Trump is worried about “crime” he should start with Shreveport, Louisiana, and @SpeakerJohnson's district — that has SIX TIMES the per capita murder rate of San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/SajHjQHd8A
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) August 15, 2025
Though Shreveport law enforcement leaders, Speaker Johnson, and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) have all pushed back on Newsom's claims, there's another perhaps even bigger problem with his argument (bolded emphasis added):
Most of Shreveport is actually represented in Congress now by Democratic U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, though Johnson still represents a small portion of his hometown. USA Today is seeking comment from Fields.
Oops!
Gavin Newsom, please pick up the red courtesy phone. Your handlers would like a word, "genius."
Editor's Note: The days of lawlessness in Washington, D.C. are over. Thanks to President Trump, our nation's capital will be SAFE once again.
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