DC police chief ripped for ‘mind blowing’ response to basic policing question: ‘Yikes’
Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith is facing backlash and mockery on social media after she appeared to not understand a question from the media about the department’s “chain of command” amid President Donald Trump’s recent federalization of the department. “Can you tell us what the chain of command is now?” a reporter was heard asking Smith during a press conference Tuesday morning. “What does that mean?” the police chief responded. “Well, is it Pam Bondi speaking to the mayor? Is it you? How does this work?” the reporter continued, before Bowser stepped in to explain the department’s chain of command following Trump invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act Monday, which allows the president to assume emergency control of the capital’s police force. FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL BACKS TRUMP’S DC POLICE TAKEOVER: ‘WHEN YOU LET GOOD COPS BE COPS, THEY DELIVER’ The exchange came amid Bowser’s brief press conference Tuesday morning following her meeting with Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Our organizational chart, how we do business, how we fund the police, none of that has changed,” Bowser explained, adding that Bondi is working as Trump’s “proxy” under the federalization order and that the pair are in close communication. TOP HOUSE REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP ‘RIGHTLY’ TOOK OVER DC POLICE, DEMANDS BOWSER, OTHERS TESTIFY ON CRIME “We have more police, and we want to make sure we use them,” she added. The exchange of Smith appearing to not understand the reporter’s question on the department’s “chain of command” sparked mockery and backlash online Tuesday afternoon. “This is who is in charge of the police in D.C…” popular conservative X account Libs of TikTok posted of the exchange. “This is why DEI is a disease,” National Co-Chair of the RNC Youth Advisory Council CJ Pearson posted to X in response to the exchange. Smith previously served as the department’s first chief equity officer, where she “led the department’s efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion,” according to her biography. TRUMP’S PLAN TO DEPLOY NATIONAL GUARD IN DC SPARKS BACKLASH FROM RESIDENTS—BUT SOME WELCOME IT “WTF! The DC Police Chief doesn’t even know what Chain of Command means,” another conservative X account posted in response. “Smith previously served as the Police Department’s “Chief Equity Officer,’” the Trump War Room account posted to X. “MIND BLOWING: D.C. police chief reveals she DOES NOT KNOW what chain of command is. Folks, this is the Washington, D.C. POLICE Chief,” another critic posted. “NEW: Washington DC Police Chief Pamela A. Smith doesn’t know what the ‘chain of command’ means. … Yikes,” Trending Politics co-owner Collin Rugg posted. Fox Digital reached out to the Metropolitan Police Department and Bowser’s office for comment on the exchange and subsequent backlash, but did not immediately receive replies. TRUMP ACTIVATES NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO ADDRESS ‘TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL’ CRIME IN WASHINGTON Trump federalized the D.C. police department following a spate of high-profile attacks and killings in the city in recent weeks, including the fatal shooting of a congressional intern in June, the fatal shooting of a pair of Israeli embassy staffers in May, and a brutal attack on a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer earlier in August. “Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people,” he said. “And we’re not going to let it happen anymore. We’re not going to take it.” Trump declared it was “Liberation Day in D.C.,” adding, “We’re going to take our capital back.” “We’re taking it back under the authority vested in me as the president of the United States. I’m officially invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. You know what that is. And placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control. … In addition, I’m deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, D.C. And they’re going to be allowed to do their job properly,” he said Monday.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump vs Newsom showdown
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Female military recruits surge across all service branches -Climate group scrubs judges’ names from website after unearthed chats unmasked cozy ties -DC paid protester requests surge 400% amid Trump’s federal takeover of city police: crowd company The federal government argued before a California judge — the brother of a retired Supreme Court justice — that President Donald Trump acted within his legal authority by deploying the National Guard and Marines to quell immigration riots in Los Angeles earlier this year. Judge Charles Breyer – sibling of President Bill Clinton-appointed Justice Stephen Breyer – heard testimony in the case brought by the Newsom administration over whether the federal government violated federal law in its use of the military on domestic soil and/or the 10th Amendment. The case is expected to test the limits of a president’s power as commander in chief, as the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act — born out of Reconstruction — requires either an act of Congress or constitutional authorization to use the U.S. military for domestic law enforcement…READ MORE. NUMBERS IN DOUBT: Trump’s pick to lead labor stats agency could pause monthly jobs report over accuracy concerns BOOTS ON STANDBY: Pentagon drawing up quick reaction force of National Guard ready to quell civil unrest at any moment: report DOGE VICTORY: DOGE lands big legal win as appeals court strikes down preliminary injunction ‘UNFORTUNATE’: White House criticizes judge’s decision not to unseal Epstein associate grand jury testimony CAMPUS CRACKDOWN: Trump admin rips George Washington University in DC as ‘deliberately indifferent’ to antisemitism MONEY PIT: Trump blasts ‘Too Late’ Powell again, threatens lawsuit over Fed’s $3B HQ renovations ‘AWFUL LOT WRONG’: Unearthed emails reveal how White House nixed Biden visiting ship because of ‘how many steps were involved’ DICTATOR’S REIGN: Venezuela human rights hit new low as US puts $50M bounty on Maduro’s head: State Department NEW FINDINGS: State Department report condemns South Africa over ‘extrajudicial killings’ in annual Human Rights report ‘STUPID BEHAVIOR’: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene explains why she’s ‘extremely frustrated’ with DC lawmakers TIDE TURNS: Senate Democrats show shift on Israel as Sanders-backed arms blockade gains traction RED STATE REBELLION: Bernie Sanders brings ‘Fighting Oligarchy Tour’ to Trump strongholds across deep-red West Virginia FLORIDA’S ‘CHUCK NORRIS’: DeSantis picks ‘the Chuck Norris of Florida politics’ as new top deputy PARTISAN PLAYBOOK: Dems suggest GOP redistricting has forced them to play partisan politics, Republicans argue nothing’s changed RUNAWAY REBELLION: Texas Republicans seek to ‘domesticate’ rogue Dems for breaking quorum ‘VERY CONCERNED’: Minneapolis Democratic socialist Omar Fateh vows to protect ‘undocumented’ residents from Trump LIVING ‘RENT-FREE’: Mamdani zings Cuomo in rent-stabilized housing spat during anti-Trump tour stop ‘WORST OF THE WORST’: ICE Houston arrests more than 350 gang members — and it’s not just MS-13 DC VIOLENCE: Man in DC shot and killed hours after Trump federalizes city’s police department Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
New poll exposes trouble for rivals in heated NYC mayoral race as one candidate takes commanding lead
New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani maintains a hefty lead in the race, according to a recent Siena poll of registered voters. Mamdani is polling at 44%, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who’s running as an independent, is at 25%. Republican Curtis Sliwa is at 12%, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is at 7%. “While City Democrats favor Mamdani over Cuomo 53-32%, with single digits for the other two, more than two-thirds of City Republicans support Sliwa. City independent voters are more closely divided, with 30% supporting Mamdani and 20% supporting Adams,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said in a press release on Tuesday. CUOMO OPPONENTS SLAM HIS RE-ENTRY INTO NYC MAYOR RACE, SAY CITY WANTS TO MOVE ON FROM EX GOVERNOR “City voters under 35 are overwhelmingly supporting Mamdani, as are a plurality of voters 35-54, however, voters 55 and older back Cuomo over Mamdani, 38-32%,” he added. “Mamdani, included in the Siena poll for the first time, has a 46-32% favorability rating with New York City voters and a negative 28-37% favorability rating among voters statewide,” Greenberg continued. However, the pollster said that Cuomo, who resigned as governor and then lost the Democratic primary to Mamdani, is facing serious favorability issues. “Cuomo has an underwater favorability rating with City voters, 37-54%, and an even worse 29-61% favorability rating with statewide voters, the worst ever favorability rating for Cuomo in a Siena poll. In fact, among Democrats statewide, Cuomo’s favorability rating is 36-56%, down from 51-39% in March,” he said. CUOMO, ADAMS TRADE SHOTS OVER WHO SHOULD DROP OUT IN RACE AGAINST MAMDANI FOR NYC MAYOR Adams, who opted to pursue the race as an independent, is also facing favorability woes, according to the poll. The mayor was indicted by the Department of Justice last year on bribery, conspiracy and campaign finance charges, but the case was later dropped. Adams has presented himself as a pro-law enforcement alternative to Mamdani, especially after the 345 Park Avenue office shooting last month. “Adams is also underwater with voters in the City, 30-58%, statewide 22-51%, and among Democrats statewide 22-59%,” Greenberg said. “Sliwa has a 26-30% statewide favorability rating, and 30-42% in the City.” The recent poll comes as the nation’s eyes remain on the race, as Mamdani’s win was seen as an upset against Cuomo, and the Democratic nominee has pushed several far-left policies. Currently, Mamdani is doing an anti-Trump tour across the city. “There is no borough that will be free from Trump’s cruelty,” Mamdani said on Monday. “We will feel the pain of this legislation, whether we are in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens or Staten Island, and we will shine a light this week and every week on the costs of this vision that is coming out of Washington, D.C.” MAMDANI’S PRIMARY WIN EXPOSES DEMOCRAT DIVIDE AS TOP LEADERS WITHHOLD ENDORSEMENTS Although some Democrats have held back on publicly supporting Mamdani, others, such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-NY., have been campaigning for him. Cuomo, Adams, and Sliwa have taken aim at Mamdani on a variety of issues, including policing and rent control. Cuomo is even pitching “Zohran’s Law” after it came out that Mamdani lives in a rent-stabilized apartment. “Rent-stabilized apartments when they’re vacant should only be rented to people who need affordable housing, not people like Zohran Mamdani,” Cuomo told reporters in a video posted on social media on Sunday. “We must remember that Andrew Cuomo has spent more time talking about my apartment than asking why so many New Yorkers are being forced out of theirs. He has spent more time criticizing me than he has in criticizing the legislation that Donald Trump has passed,” Mamdani fired back on Tuesday. The election is on Nov. 4, which makes it one of the few major off-year elections.
Youngkin credits Trump administration with bolstering anti-human trafficking efforts
Gov. Glenn Youngkin laid out his plans to address human trafficking during an annual conference Tuesday, saying the Trump administration has been a shot in the arm to state law enforcement as it attempts to tackle the elusive issue. Youngkin, joined by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and other state attorneys general, compared human trafficking enforcement to addressing transnational gangs. “We must have multi-state and federal support in order to dismantle the networks, not just arrest an individual, we’ve got to unpack the networks,” Youngkin told a crowd of a few hundred. The Trump administration has been a boon to human trafficking enforcement efforts, Youngkin said, noting he met with top Justice Department officials at the White House after the inauguration to discuss the matter and found them receptive. Virginia law enforcement has since been coordinating with the federal government to take down foreign gang operations, which Youngkin said overlaps with the human trafficking space. Youngkin used the example of gang crime inside correctional centers, which he said was the first “thread” his team pulled. FLORIDA’S OPERATION DRAGON EYE RESCUES DOZENS OF ‘CRITICALLY MISSING’ CHILDREN IN MASSIVE STING “We were able to unpick [MS-13 gangs] from their phones,” Youngkin said. “What we found was an immense network being run out of incarcerated criminals, and once the FBI tools and the Homeland Security tools and the state police tools could all be unleashed, in the FBI regional headquarters here in Northern Virginia, a map went up on the wall of the organization, and it’s just like any other work chart.” Miyares said in an interview with Fox News Digital he made requests to the Biden administration for an interagency task force to address MS-13, Tren de Aragua and other gangs but that the requests were made “on deaf ears.” He said that, by contrast, the Trump administration has acted quickly. “It’s not just drug trafficking. Human trafficking is a huge component of it.… Within 30 days, [the Trump administration] had both approved it and given us interagency space at the FBI field office in Manassas, a huge space where we had both federal, state and local law enforcement working together,” Miyares said. In March, the U.S. attorney for Eastern Virginia announced the task force had made 342 arrests, “many of them with illegal status,” and that 81 had “gang or transnational crime affiliation.” VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS CHOOSE NOMINEE TO CHALLENGE GOP ATTORNEY GENERAL JASON MIYARES Human trafficking violations are governed largely by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, a law passed more than two decades ago. Incidents can involve a person forcing or coercing another person into performing labor or sexual acts. The perpetrators tend to target children, women and vulnerable people, such as those living in economic hardship, fleeing natural disasters or struggling psychologically. Youngkin said human trafficking is an “ill-defined” problem. Miyares echoed those sentiments, saying human trafficking violations were “multifaceted.” He cited instances of missing children in his state and an arrest made in 2022 after migrants were discovered working illegally in a laundry facility in Williamsburg. West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey told Fox News Digital in an interview after the event that trafficking cases “all look so very different” but that foster children in his state were particularly susceptible. He said he hopes to harness artificial intelligence to use data across agencies to get a firmer grasp on the issue. “I think the biggest next step is building these communication bridges between agencies.… Because once a kid is found, [police] need to know everything immediately, and it needs to all be in one centralized place so that a correct decision can be made very, very quickly,” McCuskey said. “Because these things happen fast, and a kid’s life can be ruined in a day and a half because an adult made the wrong decision based on bad intervention.”
Fact-checking Trump’s claim that crime in Washington is ‘out of control’
US President Donald Trump said he is deploying 800 National Guard soldiers to Washington, DC, and taking control of its police department after claiming that crime was “out of control” in the capital city. The nation’s capital is “becoming a situation of complete and total lawlessness,” Trump said at an August 11 news conference as he invoked the Home Rule Act to take federal control of the city. “Washington, DC, should be one of the safest, cleanest and most beautiful cities anywhere in the world, and we’re going to make it that.” But many of the details Trump cited do not stand up to scrutiny. Trump’s actions are a step towards making good on his threat of a federal takeover of the district after carjackers severely beat a former Department of Government Efficiency employee. In a news briefing after Trump’s announcement, Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser said the district would cooperate with the federal government and added that she speaks with Trump often about the city’s progress on crime. “In fact, my first meeting with him after he was elected the second time, we went over the crime trends; we went over how we are seeing decreases, so the president is read in on our efforts,” she said. So why did Trump decide to take DC under federal control, and did he falsely claim that the crime rate had spiked in the capital city? Can Trump invoke a federal takeover of Washington, DC, under Section 740 of DC Home Rule Act? Trump cannot take over the city without congressional approval. He is using an emergency provision to temporarily oversee the district’s police force. Advertisement The US Constitution created the District of Columbia as a seat of the federal government. In 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Home Rule Act, enabling district residents to elect a mayor and city council. The law gives the district autonomy for local governance, but the city still answers to Congress on matters including budgetary oversight and the ability to overturn local legislation. Section 740 of the Home Rule Act allows the president to temporarily take control of the city’s police department during an emergency. In an August 11 executive order, Trump invoked Section 740, citing crime in the district as an emergency. The executive order says federal use of the district’s Metropolitan Police Department is needed to maintain law and order; protect federal buildings and monuments; and ensure “conditions necessary for the orderly functioning of the Federal Government.” Trump delegated operational control of the department to US Attorney General Pam Bondi. The emergency powers cannot extend past 48 hours, the law says, unless the president notifies Congress in writing about the reason and the time period needed. If he notifies Congress, Trump can extend the emergency for up to 30 days. Did Washington, DC, homicides reach the highest rate ever in 2023? Trump said, “Murders in 2023 reached the highest rate, probably ever. They say 25 years, but they don’t know what that means, because it just goes back 25 years. Can’t be worse.” The city’s Metropolitan Police Department data showed 274 homicides in 2023, the highest number over the past 20 years. Trump omitted that the department’s preliminary crime data shows homicides have declined 32 percent since 2023, to 187 in 2024. The homicide rate continues to decline. This year, through August 11, homicides decreased by 12 percent compared with the same time period in 2024. Jeff Asher, an analyst for AH Datalytics, told PolitiFact that the homicide rate increased substantially after 2020, peaking in 2023 at 39 per 100,000 people. That was the highest rate since 2003, but far below the 1991 peak of 81 per 100,000 people. The falling rate matches national trends, Asher said. White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said on X that the city police statistics are not as they seem. Cheung attached a July WRC-TV story about a district police commander’s May suspension after he was accused of altering crime statistics. Fraternal Order of Police Chairman Gregg Pemberton told the TV station that union members and management said the command staff want to “make sure that these classifications of these reports are adjusted over time to make sure that the overall crime stats stay down.” Advertisement A police spokesperson told PolitiFact that Commander Michael Pulliam is on administrative leave and the department can’t comment on active internal investigations. The union did not respond to our request for comment. Have violent crimes such as carjacking increased in Washington, DC? Trump said, “The number of car thefts has doubled over the past five years, and the number of carjackings has more than tripled.” Trump is correct that the number of these crimes increased, but he did not mention a recent decline in carjackings. The city’s dashboard shows carjackings rose from 2020 through 2023 before declining in 2024. This year, through August 9, there have been 188 carjackings compared with 299 during the same time period in 2024, and compared with 607 in 2023, a police spokesperson told PolitiFact. The city’s preliminary car theft data shows a 25 percent drop from 2023 to 2024, and car thefts are essentially flat year to date in 2025 compared with the same period last year. “Auto theft increased a huge amount in DC after 2020 before surging again in 2023 following the video being posted showing how to steal certain models of Kia and Hyundai cars,” Asher said. The “Kia Boyz” phenomenon happened nationwide. Overall, the city’s data shows that, through August 11 this year, compared with 2024, violent crime in the district declined by 26 percent. Washington, DC’s violent crime decrease is part of a nationwide trend in major cities. Does implementing cashless bail affect crime rates? Trump said, “The radical left City Council adopted no cash bail. By the way, every place in the country where you have no cash bail is a disaster … Somebody murders somebody, and they’re out on no cash bail before the day is out.” “No cash bail” or “cashless bail” allows certain defendants awaiting trial to be released from custody without paying bail. Even with cashless bail laws in
The last will of Anas al-Sharif
NewsFeed Before his murder by Israeli forces in Gaza, Al Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif wrote a final message to be shared with the world in the event of his death. These are his words, narrated by a Palestinian colleague. Published On 12 Aug 202512 Aug 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Widow of slain Al Jazeera journalist demands justice
NewsFeed “Stop the killing of our spouses.” The widow of slain Al Jazeera journalist Mohammed Qreiqeh says he was a kind, loving father and husband before he was assassinated by Israeli forces to silence his coverage on the Gaza war. Published On 12 Aug 202512 Aug 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
‘What is shameful is your…’: Israel envoy slams Priyanka Gandhi’s genocide allegations on Gaza conflict
This exchange comes amid intensifying violence and growing international debate over the humanitarian crisis and civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip. Adding to the rising tensions, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra separately condemned the killing of five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza.
Election 2025: Impact of language politics in Eastern India – How vote conflicts are reshaping Bengal, Assam, Bihar
Language is a delicate topic in India, as linguistic diversity led to the creation of multiple states after independence. The local language is frequently inseparable from regional pride and identity, therefore any alteration to the status quo could be interpreted as threat.
Indian Railways big update! Union Minister Ashiwini Vaishnaw announces free Wi-Fi on stations of THESE cities, here’s how to access
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announces that Indian Railways will now provide passengers with free Wi-Fi facilities at 6,115 railway stations across the country. How to access free Wi-Fi?