D.C. Councilman: ‘Talking About Public Safety’ Instead of ‘What It Means to Have the Military on Our Streets’ Is Trump’s Goal

On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Situation Room,” D.C. City Councilman Charles Allen (D) lamented that “we’re not having a conversation about what it means to have the military on our streets. Instead, we’re talking about public safety, and that’s their goal all along.”

Co-host Pamela Brown asked, “The D.C. Police Union put out a statement saying that it was in favor of this. If the decision by the White House ultimately does reduce crime in D.C., are you willing to give any credit to the White House for that?”

Allen responded, “Well, you’re using the phrase ultimately. Again, we have been driving crime down for the last several years. We’ve seen a 50% reduction, and that’s a credit to the mayor, the Council, our officers in MPD, the chief all working to make that change. Those are the things that we want to continue doing. Bringing in a federal presence, federal law enforcement and the military on the streets of an American city, that is dangerous and it is wrong. The politics of public safety are very powerful. And so, we’re not having a conversation about what it means to have the military on our streets. Instead, we’re talking about public safety, and that’s their goal all along.”

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