Trump’s DHS touts massive number of illegal immigrants deported as Dems lash out at ICE
The Department of Homeland Security is touting new data showing that the nation’s illegal immigrant population has plummeted by 1.6 million people since January. The statistics, from the Center for Immigration Studies, indicate that self-deportations are driving the trend. The federal government has provided financial incentives for illegal immigrants to leave and has run advertisements telling them they can only apply to return if they leave voluntarily. “In less than 200 days, 1.6 MILLION illegal immigrants have left the United States population,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement on Thursday. “This is massive. This means safer streets, taxpayer savings, pressure off of schools and hospital services and better job opportunities for Americans. Thank you, President Trump!” The agency says over 1 million people have opted for self-deportation through the CBP Home app. DHS began offering $1,000 and free travel out of the United States to those seeking to leave the country on their own and who do not have a criminal background outside of their immigration status. TOM HOMAN PUTS SANCTUARY CITIES ‘ON NOTICE’ AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CRACKS DOWN ON IMMIGRATION Meanwhile, Washington, D.C., is becoming an example from the Trump administration to sanctuary cities around the country, as Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered that officers cooperate with federal immigration authorities and put Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole in an oversight role of the police force. “I sent out 33 letters to mayors around this country. I think three or four of them were in California alone. Not surprising. I sent out letters to all of these mayors and to the governors saying, “You must comply.’ we want to know what you’re doing to comply with our federal government,” Bondi said on “Hannity” on Thursday night. Tensions are high between Democratic leadership and federal law enforcement in sanctuary cities, as there were immigration authorities outside Gov. Gavin Newsom’s rally in Los Angeles on Thursday, and at least one arrest was made by U.S. Border Patrol. NEWSOM OFFICE DISMISSES CRIME FEARS, DEFENDS SANCTUARY POLICIES AMID SURGE IN VIOLENCE: ‘FAKE NEWS’ “WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY WEAK LITTLE DONALD TRUMP, THE CRIMINAL PRESIDENT!” Newsom’s office told Fox News Digital in an email. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Some New York City leaders are also making critical comparisons to rebuke the Trump administration’s immigration policies. “When I look at the visuals of ICE agents masked on the street, taking people from their homes, taking people who are rightfully showing up for court. It reminds me of something that some of my ancestors had to go through, which is the KKK,” New York City Council Member Nantasha Williams said this week. AMERICA’S CRIME DROP ISN’T A COINCIDENCE. TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION POLICIES ARE WORKING Many Democrats have likened ICE agents to Nazis since Trump took office. “I’m gonna start with the flashing red light — Donald Trump’s modern-day Gestapo is scooping folks up off the streets,” former vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in May. “They’re in unmarked vans, wearing masks, being shipped off to foreign torture dungeons. No chance to mount a defense. Not even a chance to kiss a loved one goodbye. Just grabbed up by masked agents, shoved into those vans, and disappeared.” “I don’t know of any police department that routinely wears masks. We know that there are other groups that routinely wear masks. NSC-131 routinely wears masks,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said in June, referencing a neo-Nazi group. DHS says that ICE agents are facing a 1,000% increase in assaults since last year. “We will not and have not let this violence stop us or slow us down. Everyday our law enforcement continues to enforce the law and arrest the most depraved criminals including pedophiles, terrorists, murderers, gang members, and sexual predators,” Noem stated earlier this month as ICE seeks to hire thousands of more agents. President Trump is touting the immigration crackdown, as the administration says the efforts to remove illegal immigrants from the country will lead to less of a strain on public resources. “We want to stop crime. I think if the Democrats aren’t strong on this issue, they won’t be able to do it. I think this is a bigger issue than all of the other ridiculous things that like open borders,” he said Thursday.
Trump closes out 30th week in office with ‘very warm’ high-stakes Putin meeting
President Donald Trump closed out his 30th week in office of his second term with a high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, in an attempt to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. The two did not reach a peace agreement, but Trump said that the meeting was a success and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the White House in Washington Monday. “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up,” Trump said in a Saturday post on Truth Social. If the meeting in Washington with Zelenskyy goes well, Trump said that a trilateral meeting between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine will be scheduled. Trump described the meeting with Putin as “very warm,” and said that he believed a deal was imminent. “I can tell you, the meeting was a very warm meeting,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an exclusive interview. “You know, he’s a strong guy, he’s tough as hell on all of that, but the meeting was a very warm meeting between two very important countries, and it’s very good when they get along. I think we’re pretty close to a deal. Now look, Ukraine has to agree to it.” Here’s what also happened this week: On Monday, Trump announced he would activate approximately 800 National Guard troops and would take over the Metropolitan Police Department to address crime in Washington. The move came after Trump already bolstered federal law enforcement presence in the nation’s capital Saturday. “I’m deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, D.C.,” Trump told reporters at a Monday press conference. “And they’re going to be allowed to do their job properly.” TRUMP TAKES CONTROL OF METRO POLICE, DEPLOYS NATIONAL GUARD TO TAKE ON WASHINGTON CRIME Trump initially suggested federalizing Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department and dispatching National Guard troops to address crime in Washington Aug. 6 in response to the assault of a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer. Although a temporary federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department is warranted for emergency situations, Washington officials filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s move Friday. “By illegally declaring a takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law,” Washington Attorney General Brian Schwalb wrote in a Friday X post. “This is the gravest threat to Home Rule DC has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it.” The White House sent a letter to the Smithsonian Tuesday, announcing it would conduct a review of its museums and exhibits leading up to the 250th birthday of the United States in 2025. “We want the museums to treat our country fairly,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “We want their museums to talk about the history of our country in a fair manner, not in a woke manner or in a racist manner, which is what many of them, not all of them, but many of them are doing.” “Our museums have an obligation to represent what happened in our country over the years. Good and bad,” Trump said. “But what happened over the years in an accurate way.” AMERICAN HISTORY WON’T BE DISPLAYED ‘IN A WOKE MANNER’ AT SMITHSONIAN, TRUMP SAYS The White House said in a letter Tuesday the review would involve examining social media, exhibition text and educational materials to “assess tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals.” “This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions,” the letter said. WHITE HOUSE REVIEWING ALL SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM, EXHIBIT CONTENT BEFORE AMERICA 250 CELEBRATION IN 2026 The Smithsonian told Fox News Digital it would coordinate with the White House, Congress and its governing Board of Regents on the matter. “The Smithsonian’s work is grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research and the accurate, factual presentation of history,” the Smithsonian said in a statement.
Top House Dem sides with Mamdani critics on key controversy surrounding his campaign: ‘Legitimate issue’
Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries again declined to issue an endorsement of New York City socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and said the recent controversy over Mamdani living in a rent-stabilized apartment is a “legitimate issue.” “Well listen, that’s an issue for the state legislators and the state government to work out,” Jeffries told CNBC on Thursday morning when asked about Mamdani living in a rent-stabilized apartment in Queens despite making close to $150,000 a year. When pressed about New Yorkers who make far less and don’t have access to rent-controlled apartments, Jeffries said, “It’s a legitimate issue that has been raised, and the campaign is going to have to address it.” Mamdani has faced intensifying criticism for living in the rent-controlled apartment while campaigning on the need for affordable housing, including from his opponent, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has floated legislation that he has dubbed “Zohran’s Law” to prevent high-income individuals from occupying rent-stabilized apartments. OBAMA’S CALL TO MAMDANI ‘NORMALIZES’ THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST CANDIDATE, SHARPTON SAYS Mamdani, who has previously acknowledged that he hails from a wealthy family, has said he rented the $2,300-per-month apartment before he became an assemblyman and did not know at the time he signed the lease that it was a rent-stabilized apartment. This week, Mamdani was hit with an ethics complaint urging a probe into the situation and questioning whether the socialist candidate received improper assistance securing subsidized housing. “Right-wing think tanks and MAGA billionaires’ pathetic attempts to distract from Zohran Mamdani’s mission to make NYC more affordable will fail, just as they did in the primary where New Yorkers resoundingly rejected Andrew Cuomo in a humiliating defeat,” Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec told the New York Post regarding the ethics complaint. ‘NOT WELCOME HERE’: STATEN ISLAND ACTIVIST ARRESTED AFTER CONFRONTING NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE Jeffries legitimizing the critique of Mamdani sparked some pushback online from users who suggested Jeffries was wrong to side against Mamdani. “Starting to think this guy shouldn’t be leader,” former Democratic speechwriter Alex Bradley posted on X. “Weak where it matters, not a team player.” “What a coward,” NYU’s Institute for Public Knowledge Associate Director Michael Koncewicz posted on X. “It’s deeply embarrassing that Jeffries is a leader of the Democratic Party.” A headline from Mediaite characterized Jeffries’s comment as having thrown Mamdani “under the bus.” Cuomo and Mamdani have been going back and forth with jabs on the issue after Cuomo called Mamdani out in a social media post that has been seen over 30 million times, calling on Mamdani “to move out immediately and give your affordable housing back to an unhoused family who need it.” In the CNBC interview, Jeffries also declined to officially endorse Mamdani despite praising his primary performance where he “outworked” his opponents. “But now, during the general election, of course, he’s going to have to demonstrate to a broader electorate, including in many of the neighborhoods that I represent in Brooklyn, that his ideas can actually be put into reality, and that’s the conversation that he’s having with me and having with people who are community leaders and residents in the 8th Congressional District I serve.” Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report
State Department stops issuing all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza
The State Department announced on Saturday that it was halting all visitor visas to individuals from Gaza while it reviews the issuing process. “All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being stopped while we conduct a full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days,” a post on X from the State Department read. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Trump: We’re going straight to Russia-Ukraine peace deal, ‘not a mere ceasefire’
President Donald Trump is ready to zoom past a ceasefire and get straight to a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. After his high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and ahead of his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump announced his intention to bring a more final end to the war. “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere ceasefire agreement, which often times do not hold up,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Saturday. TRUMP REVEALS 10 STRIKING TAKEAWAYS FROM PUTIN SUMMIT IN HANNITY INTERVIEW Trump also said that if his meeting with Zelenskyy in D.C. on Monday goes well, they will work to schedule a trilateral meeting with Putin, presumably to get a peace agreement finalized and signed. However, Trump and Zelenskyy have both confirmed that they spoke after the U.S.-Russia summit on Friday. The president’s rejection of a ceasefire agreement echoes what Zelenskyy has often said regarding a lasting peace, rather than a “pause between Russian invasions.” “Today, following a conversation with President Trump, we further coordinated positions with European leaders. The positions are clear. A real peace must be achieved, one that will be lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X on Saturday. Zelenskyy to meet with Trump in DC after historic Putin summit European leaders involved in the “Coalition of the Willing,” including U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and others, also expressed their desire for a “just and lasting peace.” The officials issued a joint statement after Trump and Putin’s meeting, praising U.S. efforts and encouraging them to continue. “We are also ready to work with President Trump and President Zelenskyy towards a trilateral summit with European support,” the statement read. Zelenskyy said on X that he urged Trump to issue sanctions if Russia refuses to partake in a trilateral meeting. The move is possible, as Trump threatened to hit Russia with “very severe” economic consequences if Putin derailed the peace process, but did not explain what that would entail. Although Putin and Trump did not reach a deal during their meeting in Alaska, the summit was widely seen as a successful step towards peace. Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in an exclusive interview that the summit was a 10 out of 10 and that Putin wants the war to be “done.” “We see the desire of the U.S. administration and President Trump personally to facilitate the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict, his desire to delve into the essence and understand its origins,” Putin said in a statement after the meeting, according to a Reuters translation. Putin reiterated his stance that the conflict with Ukraine is based in security concerns for Russia. He also said that he saw the Ukrainian people as “brotherly” and that “in order for the Ukrainian settlement to be sustainable and long-term, all the root causes of the crisis must be eliminated,” according to Reuters. It remains to be seen whether Putin would be open to a trilateral meeting to end the brutal years-long war.
Protesters confront officers patrolling DC streets after Trump policing takeover
The federal takeover of policing in Washington D.C. sparked protests near Union Station Thursday night,with demonstrators calling police and National Guard officers “Nazis.” “You guys safe over here? You guys safe? Are you guys being murdered?” one protester was heard sarcastically asking officers. Others said they are “betraying” the country and “terrorizing the community.” “You will never know a moment of peace,” one man said, accusing the officers of being “Nazis.” “Sad incel car. Sad incel car, look at that,” a woman shouted as a Tesla Cybertruck is stopped. DC’S SOFT-ON-CRIME LEADERS LET TEENS RUN WILD, OPENED DOOR FOR TRUMP TAKEOVER: POLICE GROUP “Y’all are the reason why our country is going downhill,” a protester shouted at officers during a traffic stop. President Donald Trump announced the move on Monday, and the National Guard and a variety of federal agencies, including ICE and the FBI, have been patrolling and conducting operations throughout the city. Some arrests have already been made, including dozens of illegal immigrants. Attorney General Pam Bondi initially ordered that Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole be in charge of the Metropolitan Police Department as an “emergency police commissioner,” although that directive was later changed to ensure Cole worked with Mayor Muriel Bowser. Bondi also ordering more compliance between local police and federal immigration authorities. ‘RADICAL’ DC OFFICIALS TREATED OFFICERS ‘LIKE CRAP,’ POLICE LEADER SAYS – 7 ATTACKS THAT LED TO TRUMP TAKEOVER Democrats have criticized the takeover as an overreach, with members of Congress asking for a resolution to terminate the “crime emergency” that was declared by the Trump administration. “President Trump’s incursions against D.C. are among the most egregious attacks on D.C. home rule in decades. D.C. residents are Americans, worthy of the same autonomy granted to residents of the states,” Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents D.C. as a delegate, said in a statement. “Our local police force, paid for by D.C. residents, should not be subject to federalization, an action that wouldn’t be possible for any other police department in the country. No emergency exists in D.C. that the president did not create himself, and he is not using the D.C. Police for federal purposes, as required by law,” she added. TRUMP ACTIVATES NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO ADDRESS ‘TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL’ CRIME IN WASHINGTON Meanwhile, the White House blasted the resolution, as the Trump administration said the intention is to lower crime in the capital city. “But instead of supporting what should be a bipartisan measure to Make DC Safe Again, Democrats are burying their heads in the sand, denying there is a problem, and carrying the torch for dangerous criminals that terrorize DC communities,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital. “D.C. residents know the reality on the ground – crime was out of control and President Trump’s actions are making the city safer. The left’s refusal to support widely popular issues with the American public – like stopping violent crime – are why their approval ratings are at historic lows and will continue to tank,” she added. The city is suing over the action, arguing that it hinders the ability of the district to self-govern. “We are suing to block the federal government takeover of D.C. police. By illegally declaring a takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule DC has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it,” D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb posted to X on Friday. “The federal government’s power over DC is not absolute, and it should not be exercised as such. Section 740 of the Home Rule Act permits the President to request MPD’s services. But it can only be done temporarily, for special emergencies, and solely for federal purposes,” he added.
Illegal immigrants could dominate DC arrests under federalized police force, says expert
A large number of arrests by the newly federalized Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department will likely be illegal immigrants, one expert predicts. Some 29 of the 45 arrests that were announced by the Trump administration Wednesday were illegal immigrants. A day later, 15 of the 33 arrests were illegal immigrants, including a suspect from China. “It will not be surprising to hear that a significant portion of arrests that occur under the federal intervention will be criminal aliens,” Jessica Vaughan, director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, told Fox News Digital. “Washington, D.C., has long suffered from problems with street gangs that include or are majority illegal alien, in part because of sanctuary policies, but also because prior waves of illegal immigration have led to large Central American diasporas in the region.” AG BONDI STRIPS POWER FROM DC POLICE CHIEF, RESCINDS SANCTUARY CITY PROTECTIONS IN CRIME CRACKDOWN OPERATION “Gangs like MS-13 and 18th Street like to set up shop in these areas, so they can recruit, extort, and intimidate the population. Any city that tolerates illegal immigration is going to have a problem with criminal aliens who know they will be shielded from immigration enforcement,” Vaughan added. This week, Attorney General Pam Bondi scrapped sanctuary policies from the department as part of a move that would override city laws on the matter. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Earlier today, DC Police Chief Pamela Smith issued an order permitting some cooperation with federal immigration authorities, but stopped short of allowing cooperation for the sole purpose of immigration enforcement. DC TRAFFIC STOP REPORTING ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS A ‘GREAT STEP,’ TRUMP SAYS — OTHER BLUE CITIES COULD BE NEXT The short-lived Thursday order from Smith permitted officers to begin “sharing information about persons not in MPD custody” such as during “traffic stops” and to provide “transportation for federal immigration agency employees and detained subjects,” according to NBC 4 Washington. “This intervention by Trump is an opportunity for ICE to make up for years of being hindered by the DC government, and to clear out criminal aliens who have preyed on the law-abiding population of the city. The gangs and predators will no longer have the run of city parks and public spaces the way they have in the recent past, and the ones who are here illegally will be sent home instead of back to the streets,” Vaughan continued. Since President Donald Trump announced the police takeover on Monday, several federal agencies, along with the National Guard, have been patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C., and they are visible at key locations throughout the capital. DC POLICE ANNOUNCE MAJOR ACTION ON IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AFTER TRUMP’S CRIME CRACKDOWN “Under President Trump and [Homeland Security] Secretary [Kristi] Noem’s leadership, ICE law enforcement is being unleashed to keep America safe from dangerous criminals. As the secretary has announced, ICE and CBP have been deployed to help clean up the streets of our nation’s capital,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated. “Our message is clear: Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States,” the spokesperson added.
Putin backs Trump’s claim that the Ukraine war would not have happened if he’d won 2020 election
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agreed with Donald Trump’s claim that the war in Ukraine would not have ever even begun if he had not lost the 2020 election and was serving as president when the carnage began, instead of former President Joe Biden. “I can confirm that,” Putin said at the tail-end of a press conferece that took place Friday evening after the pair met for a summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Trump made the assertion multiple times on the campaign trail, and continued saying it after he took back the White House. Trump has faced pushback on the claim, as well as on claims that Ukraine instigated the war’s inception and the Biden administration failed to do things that could have thwarted it from beginning in the first place. TRUMP AND PUTIN’S RELATIONSHIP TURNS SOUR AS PRESIDENT PUSHES FOR RESOLUTION WITH UKRAINE “I’d like to add one more thing,” Putin said, as the two heads of state provided remarks to the press, according to a translation of the Russian president’s address. “I’d like to remind you that in 2022, during the last contact with a previous administration, I tried to convince my previous American colleague that the situation should not be brought to a point of no return when it would come to hostilities and I said it quite directly back then that it’s a big mistake. Today, when President Trump is saying that if he was the president back then there would be no war – I am quite sure that it would indeed be so. I can confirm that.” Earlier in his address, Putin lamented that bilateral relations between the U.S. and Russia, prior to Trump, had “fallen to the lowest point since the Cold War,” and highlighted the fact that there have been no summits between the U.S. and Russia over the last four years. “That’s not benefiting our counties and the world as a whole,” Putin said, adding that it was “apparent that sooner or later [U.S. and Russia] had to amend the situation to move on from the confrontation to dialogue.” MSNBC HOST EXPLODES LIVE ON AIR OVER PUTIN TALKS, RANTS TRUMP ‘DOESN’T GIVE A S— ABOUT DEMOCRACY’ Meanwhile, Putin praised Trump for “his strive to get to the crux of the matter and to understand this history,” referring to the backstory surrounding the war. He called the commitment “precious.” The Russian president also remarked during his address that he hopes this new chapter of foreign diplomacy under Trump will “help us rebuild and foster mutually beneficial and equal ties at this new stage, even during the hardest conditions.” “Overall, me and President Trump have built a very good business-like and trustworthy contact, and have every reason to believe that moving down this path we can come to the end of the conflict in Ukraine,” Putin said Friday. The optics of Trump’s meeting with Putin were slammed by critics, who compared the scene Friday to when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Trump at the White House. The infamous meeting saw Zelenskyy publicly argue back-and-forth with Trump and other top leaders in the administration, as President Trump criticized the Ukrainian president for his approach to ending the war. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Biden could’ve stopped it, Zelenskyy could’ve stopped it, and Putin should’ve never started it,” Trump said in April about the war in Ukraine.
Expert flips script on Dems pushing ‘cherry-picked’ crime stats to resist Trump’s DC crackdown
Democrats across the country have been pushing back on President Trump’s D.C. crime crackdown, citing statistics purportedly showing that crime in the nation’s capital is down or even at historic lows, but an expert who spoke to Fox News Digital is pushing back on that narrative. “These Democrats are citing statistics from the FBI, from its uniform crime report. And the problem with that is that they’re portraying it as if it’s a record of violent crime,” Jim Agresti, president of the nonprofit research institute Just Facts, told Fox News Digital shortly after Trump announced he was sending federal resources to the nation’s capital to confront crime in the city. “But really what it is is a record of crimes that are reported to the police and then those of those crimes that get reported to the FBI. It’s not a full record of all violent crimes, and this is a problem. And the FBI is very explicit about this when they present the data in their formal report every year, where they say, ‘Do not directly compare the data from year to year because there are differences in how frequently people report crimes and how frequently the FBI gets that data from the local police agencies.’” While many prominent Democrats, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, have insisted violent crime is at a 30-year low in the city, Agresti told Fox News Digital the “best way to understand the state of violent crime” in any jurisdiction is to look at the number of murders because it is a violent crime that is difficult to “sweep under the rug” because it “produces a dead body.” WOMAN GUNNED DOWN IN ‘SAFE’ DC NEIGHBORHOOD AS TRUMP LAUNCHES FEDERAL POLICE TAKEOVER “When we look at the murder data for DC, we see that it is not a situation that is lower now than it’s been in the last 30 years. Quite the opposite,” Agresti explained. “It is currently 83% higher than it was at its low point a dozen years ago. So, there is a serious problem with serious crime, violent crime in D.C., and the city now, the nation’s capital, has a murder rate that is five times the U.S. average.” The chances of a person facing a violent crime in Washington, D.C., have dropped in recent years, but the possibility of dying during such a crime has skyrocketed, data shows, Fox News Digital reported on Wednesday. Lethality in D.C. jumped by a whopping 341% when compared to 2012 data, the study found, reporting that there were 13 homicides per 1,000 serious violent crimes in 2012 and 57 homicides per 1,000 serious violent crimes in 2024. Agresti explained that while many people operate with the belief that crime spiked across the country during and because of COVID, the issue actually began getting worse specifically when the Black Lives Matter rioting erupted. CAPITOL HILL STAFFER STABBED IN HEAD, CHEST WELCOMES TRUMP’S WASHINGTON, DC CRIME CRACKDOWN “That makes a lot of sense,” Agresti said. “Police were vilified. They pulled back out of fear of being hurt. People were talking about defunding the police, and there was overall mayhem in this country. So, that rise, by the way, that people blame on COVID actually didn’t start with COVID, and it didn’t appear in other countries. It happened here where we had these BLM riots.” Agresti told Fox News Digital there is a “clear connection” between crime in the United States and the “Defund the Police” movement and that most people don’t grasp the “full extent” of the crime problem in this country. “We had roughly 17,000 murders last year,” Agresti explained. “Imagine if all of them made national news. At the current rate of murders in this county, roughly one in every 230 people in the United States will have their lives cut short by being murdered. That statistic is so unbelievable.” In addition to the “staggering” facts about murder, Agresti said data compiled by Just Facts shows one in 10 women in the United States are raped in the course of their lives. “Think about the horror of that, and beyond all this pain, suffering, death, there’s also a financial cost to crime,” Agresti said. “It’s been quantified in a 2021 academic paper, and, bottom line, crime in all of its forms, pain, death, suffering, financial loss, activities we take to prevent crime, they amount to a cost on our US economy of roughly $40,000 per U.S. household.” Questions have also been raised about local crime stats from D.C. showing crime is down so far this year, with many pointing to news reports that a D.C. police commander was recently suspended for allegedly altering crime data. Agresti said anyone can “cherry-pick” crime statistics to promote a specific agenda but that it is important to also realize that many crimes also go unreported due to various factors, including animosity toward police or the belief that calling the police won’t yield results. “The vast majority of crime goes unreported, and another phenomenon that’s really, really disturbing is the amount of crimes that are solved,” Agresti said. “It used to be in this country, in 1960, that 92% of all murders are solved. In 2023, that figure was down to 58%, meaning that 40-plus percent of people who committed murders got away with it, and they’re out there to commit them again.” As of Thursday, 800 Trump-authorized National Guard troops were in Washington, D.C., supporting other federal law enforcement agencies with “monument security, community safety patrols, protecting federal facilities and officers, traffic control posts and area beautification,” according to the State Department. Trump’s move to crack down on crime in the capital, which the White House says is happening at levels that dwarf capitals in other far more impoverished countries across the world, has sparked protests led by liberal activists and outrage from some elected Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “When politicians are saying, ‘We don’t have to worry about this, it’s the lowest crime rate in 30 years,’ they
Newsom’s office continues to mock Trump using his social media writing style: ‘TINY HANDS’
The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to troll President Donald Trump on social media by mimicking his infamous writing style. The press team for the Democratic governor has made several posts on X in recent days mirroring how Trump often writes when posting on X or Truth Social, including using all capital letters and nicknames. In the latest post on Friday, Newsom’s team responded to the White House Rapid Response account, which shared a picture of Trump scowling and pointing a finger at Russian President Vladimir Putin following a meeting on Friday between the two world leaders in Alaska. “TINY HANDS IS OUT HERE COPYING ME — BUT WITHOUT THE STAMINA (SAD), AND CERTAINLY WITHOUT THE ‘LOOKS.’ TOTAL BETA! — GCN,” the governor’s press team replied on X along with a similar picture from earlier this year of Newsom pointing a finger at Trump’s chest. CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS ACCUSE NEWSOM OF ‘SINISTER REDISTRICTING SCHEME’ AFTER TRUMP MOCKERY After the meeting on Friday, the press team accused Trump of refusing to take questions and having low energy during his time with Putin — again in all caps. “TRUMP JUST FLED THE PODIUM WITH PUTIN — NO QUESTIONS, NOTHING! TOTAL LOW ENERGY. THE MAN LOOKED LIKE HE’D JUST EATEN 3 BUCKETS OF KFC WITH VLAD. IS HE AFRAID THE PRESS WILL ASK ABOUT ME??? (AMERICA’S FAVORITE GOVERNOR) AND THE FACT I ‘STOLE THE CAMERAS’ THIS WEEK WITH ‘THE MAPS’?” the press team wrote. “MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING HE BEGGED PUTIN TO HOLD HIS HANDS (TINY) ON THE WAY OUT,” the post continued. “ADMIT IT, DONNIE J… YOU’RE TERRIFIED BECAUSE THIS WAS THE WORST WEEK OF YOUR LIFE BECAUSE OF ME, GAVIN C. NEWSOM. ‘THE MAPS’ WILL END YOUR PRESIDENCY, RETAKE CONGRESS FOR THE PEOPLE, AND EXPOSE YOUR RIGGED “LITTLE GAME.” MY “PERFECT MAPS” ARE MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN ANYTHING IN TRUMP TOWER (WHICH MANY SAY SMELLS WEIRD). @STEVENCHUENG47 — EXPLAIN THIS DISASTER!!! ENJOY YOUR FLIGHT HOME, DONALD — YOU’RE PUTIN’S PROBLEM NOW. I’M AMERICA’S SOLUTION. — GCN.” The post referred to Newsom announcing that California Democrats would draw redistricting maps in their favor in response to Texas Republicans’ efforts to redraw maps in their favor in their state – a move supported by Trump. The account also accused Trump of considering giving California to Russia during his meeting with Putin. “MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT DONALD J. WOULD CONSIDER ‘GIVING AWAY’ THE FREE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO HIS ‘BEST FRIEND’ VLADIMIR PUTIN — ALL BECAUSE I, GAVIN C. NEWSOM, STOLE THE CAMERAS THIS WEEK WITH “THE MAPS,” the post reads, in part. “…AMERICA WOULD COLLAPSE WITHOUT CALIFORNIA AND NOT EVEN ‘DUMMY DONALD’ (TINY HANDS) COULD MAKE SUCH A ‘DISASTROUS DEAL.’ BUT IF HE EVER TRIES TO ‘SWAP’ CALIFORNIA TO RUSSIA, MARK MY WORDS — THERE WILL BE BIG, BEAUTIFUL CONSEQUENCES FOR HIM!!! AND BELIEVE ME… HE WON’T LIKE THEM!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS VERY IMPORTANT MATTER!!! — GCN.” CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR DEMANDS TRUMP ABANDON TEXAS REDISTRICTING PUSH, THREATENS BALLOT MEASURE RESPONSE In another cap-filled post on Friday, the press team suggested Newsom should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his redistricting efforts, after a handful of world leaders announced they had nominated Trump for the award. “MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING — AND I AGREE — THAT I, GAVIN C. NEWSOM (AMERICA’S FAVORITE GOVERNOR) DESERVE THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE,” the account wrote. “WHY? BECAUSE OF THE ‘MOST INCREDIBLE MAPS IN THE HISTORY OF MAPPING’ (EVEN COLUMBUS). THESE MAPS WILL END THE ‘VERY RIGGED’ ELECTIONS, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN (MAGA!!!), RETAKE CONGRESS ‘FOR THE PEOPLE’, AND SAVE DEMOCRACY. NOBODY ELSE COULD HAVE DONE THIS — CERTAINLY NOT THE ‘SELF-PROCLAIMED’ MASTER DEALMAKER DONALD ‘TACO’ TRUMP (TINY HANDS) WHO MISSED ‘THE DEADLINE’ AND LOST (SAD!).” “PEACE THROUGH MAPS — NO ONE HAS EVER THOUGHT OF THIS BEFORE,” the account continued. “I AM THE ‘PEACE TIME’ GOVERNOR NOW, STOPPING ‘POLITICAL WARS’ BEFORE THEY START. HARMONY, UNITY, EVEN LOVE. THE NOBEL COMMITTEE HAS GIVEN THIS AWARD TO LESSER PEOPLE FOR MUCH LESS. I, GAVIN C. NEWSOM, ACTUALLY EARNED IT. THE WORLD WILL BE SAFER, KINDER, AND FRANKLY MORE ‘BEAUTIFUL’ BECAUSE OF MY MAPS. GIVE GAVIN THE NOBEL, MANY ARE SAYING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! — GCN.” Before the series of posts on Friday, Newsom’s press team made several other posts targeting Trump and mocking “MAGA” Republicans throughout the week. “Vaxxed?” the account wrote on Friday in response to a picture another user shared of Trump and Putin in which the user said the U.S. president “looks awful.”