National Guard to crime bills: Trump’s multi-front war on crime

President Trump is working with Republican congressional leaders on a comprehensive crime bill, legislation that will put his popular crime-fighting agenda in front of voters ahead of the midterm elections next year. Here’s what you need to know about Trump’s crime legislation push:

The congressional collaboration announcement

Trump reveals legislative effort with GOP leaders:

• “Speaker Mike Johnson, and Leader John Thune, are working with me, and other Republicans, on a Comprehensive Crime Bill,” Trump said Tuesday on social media
• Added that it is what the “country needs, and NOW More to follow. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
• Legislation will put his popular crime-fighting agenda in front of voters ahead of midterm elections next year
• Represents major legislative push on crime issues with Republican lawmakers

The historical crime bill context

Current effort follows decades-old precedent:

• Congress last passed crime bill in 1994 when Bill Clinton was president
• It was considered largest crime bill in U.S. history and funded 100,000 new law enforcement officers
• Spent $9.7 billion on prisons during Clinton administration
• Trump’s proposal would be first comprehensive federal crime legislation in three decades

The executive order actions

Trump has already implemented crime-fighting measures through executive authority:

• Trump signed executive order Monday threatening to pull federal support from District of Columbia and other jurisdictions that refuse to end their cashless bail policies
• Said federal funds, services or approvals can be withheld if local leaders don’t comply
• Another executive order said federal grants and contracts for cities and states with cashless bail policies could be canceled
• Orders designed to pressure local governments to change criminal justice policies

The National Guard deployment

Military resources enlisted for domestic crime fighting:

• Trump ordered National Guard to prepare for rapid deployment to fight crime across country
• Enlisted more federal agencies to join his crime-fighting effort, including Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Transportation
• Trump has made fighting violent crime around U.S., particularly in nation’s capital, top priority this year
• Including deploying National Guard to help immigration sweeps in Los Angeles and support police in District of Columbia

The crime emergency declaration

D.C. serves as model for national approach:

• Measures were designed to tackle “crime emergency” that Trump declared Aug. 11 in nation’s capital
• He has since said effort could be needed in other cities
• D.C. deployment includes both immigration enforcement and police support functions
• Emergency declaration provides legal framework for federal intervention

The data dispute

Conflicting claims over crime statistics accuracy:

• Critics have countered that violent crime is down in District and other cities from spikes during COVID-19 pandemic
• But Trump accused cities of manipulating data to lower crime rates
• Justice Department is investigating District’s crime statistics
• Debate over actual crime levels versus reported statistics creates political tension

Read more:

• Donald Trump working on crime bill with Congress