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AN ABC anchor backed Donald Trump’s overhaul of the DC police department after she experienced violence firsthand in the city.
Many were aghast after the Trump administration announced on Monday that it would take control of the nation’s capital to cut back on crime.
“I’m announcing a historic action to rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse,” he said during the press conference on Monday.
He placed Attorney General Pam Bondi at the helm of the Metropolitan Police Department, and announced that he would be bringing in the National Guard.
“This is Liberation Day in DC, and we’re going to take our capital back,” Trump said.
One backer of the historic plan to overtake the city’s police was ABC News anchor Kyra Phillips, who works at the publication’s bureau in D.C.
“I can tell you firsthand here in downtown DC where we work, right here around our bureau, just in the past six months…there were two people shot, one person died, literally two blocks down here from the bureau,” she recounted on the broadcast of ABC News Live.
“It was within the last two years that I actually was jumped walking just two blocks down from here.”
Just that morning, her co-worker’s car was stolen a block away, she claimed.
“We can talk about the numbers going down, but crime is happening every single day because we’re all experiencing it firsthand, working and living down here.”
During the same broadcast, Phillips interviewed DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, where she shared more details on the harrowing encounter.
She said that the incident happened just two blocks down from her job.
“He was homeless, and half dressed, clearly wasn’t in his clear mind,” she said of her attacker.
“It was scary as hell, I’m not gonna lie.”
Phillips then said that she had to defend herself from the man while he jumped her.
“I fought back, I didn’t see any weapons in his hands,” she recounted.
Trump Brings National Guard to DC
How Does Federalizing a City’s Police Force Work?
- The president can take control if local order breaks down or with city approval.
- In DC, federal law allows Congress and the president to oversee police under certain rules.
- A federal official can be put in charge of the local police temporarily.
How Do Federal Police and the National Guard Work Together?
- Federal agents (FBI, DEA, Secret Service) can assist or lead law enforcement efforts.
- The National Guard can be called in by the president to support or restore order.
- When federalized, the Guard works under federal command but usually does not handle regular policing.
- All forces must coordinate closely to avoid overlap and work effectively.
“I felt like it was my only choice.”
“The president did mention that this effort is also gonna help clean up homelessness. As we know, many members of the homeless community sadly take it upon themselves – like what happened to me – to carry out violence.”
Trump said that he was going to kick homeless people out of the city and move them “FAR from the Capital,” he wrote on Truth Social Sunday.
“The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong. It’s all going to happen very fast, just like the Border.”
“This will be easier — Be prepared! There will be no ‘MR. NICE GUY,'” he wrote.