On Aug. 11, 2025, President Trump took decisive action by deploying the National Guard to Washington D.C. For years, our nation’s capital has been plagued by out-of-control crime, with more than 91% of residents calling it a major problem.

President Trump campaigned on a promise to crack down on crime in major cities, and he has shown he is unafraid to take bold action to keep that promise. Time and again he has proven that leadership requires courage and the ability to stand firm when America’s safety and prosperity are on the line.

In just a few weeks, more than 1,900 criminals have been taken off the streets with over 209 illegal guns seized from the hands of criminals, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi. According to Washington, D.C.’s Mayor Bowser, violent crime has dropped 45%, carjackings are down 87%, and overall crime is down 15% in the District since President Trump’s order has been in effect.

President Trump has led with this attitude during his entire tenure in office, from re-negotiating bad trade deals that hollowed out our manufacturing base, securing our borders against unchecked illegal immigration, settling conflicts across the globe, to sending the National Guard to Washington, D.C. to restore order. In each of these instances, his actions have been met with sharp criticism from the Left but unprecedented results and success for the American people.

In a state like West Virginia, we do not experience the same problems as much of urban America; however, we are grateful for President Trump’s leadership on this issue. Deterring violent crime, illegal immigration, and drug trafficking will directly benefit the people of West Virginia.

While the citizens and workers in the District of Colombia are experiencing plummeting crime rates, Democrats throughout our country are condemning the President’s actions and rebuking federal assistance for their constituents, putting the lives and safety of the constituents they were elected to represent at risk by trying to score political points against President Trump. It’s no wonder that voters are fleeing the Democratic Party by the millions — Democrats are not prioritizing their own people.

The 2024 election proved that Americans feel abandoned by Democrats. President Trump won re-election in large part due to the shift in support in his direction in America’s most populated cities. Chicago (which has had the most murders of any U.S. city for 13 consecutive years) shifted 8.3% and Detroit, shifted 9.2%, Miami, shifted 19%, while boroughs of New York City such as The Bronx and Queens shifted more than 20% — all towards President Trump. Newark, New Jersey, Boston, Los Angeles, shifted 11% each towards President Trump.

It was made abundantly clear at the ballot box that Americans who live in our most urban areas across the country shifted towards President Trump dramatically, in part, due to his tough on crime platform. If Democrats refuse to take crime seriously, President Trump has already proven he will and the American people are safer because of it.

Josh Holstein is the Chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party and serves as a Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates.