Schumer Calls Claims of Danger in D.C. Overstated
On Wednesday, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer pushed back against Republicans who assert that Washington, D.C. is too dangerous to navigate, insisting instead that the area is “completely safe.” This comes amid ongoing worries among residents regarding violent crime and rising murder rates.
President Trump had declared a state of criminal emergency in D.C. earlier in the week, deploying the National Guard to combat violent crime. In an interview, Schumer mentioned his daily morning walks around the Capitol and nearby monuments. He criticized GOP lawmakers suggesting that the city’s situation warrants a federal takeover of local police and the involvement of Trump’s National Guard.
“I walk around regularly. Early in the morning, just as the sun rises, I stroll around the Capitol and the monuments, and honestly, I feel completely safe. They’re exaggerating,” Schumer said. “This is just another distraction from Donald Trump. It was his tactic during his first term, attempting to shift attention away from other issues.”
Additionally, Schumer highlighted how the Senate utilized obscure rules from the Homeland Security Committee to request documents related to Epstein, which sparked a defensive reaction from House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans.
Major media outlets have echoed the Metropolitan Police Department’s claim of a significant drop in violent crime; however, government data revealed a more complex picture. White House spokesman Caroline Leavitt noted that 850 law enforcement officers made 23 arrests during the initial night of Trump’s intensified law-and-order measures.
FBI statistics indicate that violent crime has decreased by only 10% since 2024, a figure slightly above what was observed in 2018. Unlike the FBI, the MPD’s metrics exclude certain crimes like aggravated assaults, focusing mainly on murders and robbery cases. The DC Police Chief has been under investigation for allegedly manipulating data, and the police union has publicly accused the MPD of exaggerating reported declines in crime.
A recent gang shooting resulted in the death of 21-year-old Congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Yachim near a Metro station. In another incident, two Israeli officials lost their lives in a shootout outside a Jewish museum. The prosecutor is currently pressing multiple charges against Elias Rodriguez, 31, including first-degree murder and federal hate crimes stemming from these violent events.
