Mark Meadows, Donald Trump's Chief of Staff from 2020-21, told Newsmax on Wednesday that Democrats should not hesitate to accept federal assistance in combating crime, pointing to Washington, D.C.'s recent decline in carjackings following President Donald Trump's law enforcement surge in the capital.
Meadows, a Republican who represented North Carolina before joining the first Trump administration, urged Democratic leaders to support federal funding for local law enforcement, stating that public safety should take precedence over politics.
Appearing on "The Record With Greta Van Susteren," Meadows praised the partnership between the Trump team and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, noting that the federal enhancement of law enforcement has coincided with a significant drop in crime.
"Well, I have had the privilege of working with Mayor Bowser when I was in Congress and also in the White House. And the one thing that is to be applauded here today is this hand-in-glove approach," Meadows said.
"She mentioned it in her response in that this was a response in helping the Metropolitan Police Department there in D.C. Very capable men and women. And so this federal response is to augment that."
Mayor Bowser recently informed reporters that, in the first 20 days of the federal effort, carjackings decreased by 87% compared with the same period last year. Overall crime in the Washington has fallen 15%.
"We know that when carjackings go down, when use of guns goes down, when homicide or robbery goes down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer, so this surge has been important to us," Bowser said.
Meadows said the results should send a message to other cities.
"Those other mayors should take a lesson because it's not just on sending National Guard and federal law enforcement officers to make sure that D.C. is safe," he said. "But if you were to say we're going to reduce crime by 87%, what mayor in the United States would not say, 'Please send us as much as you can'?"
He drew a comparison to other emergencies where local officials readily request federal relief. "They're not shy about asking for federal relief when they have a fire or a hurricane. They were not shy about asking for federal relief during COVID," Meadows said.
"This has more implications in terms of communities and making sure they're safe. They shouldn't be shy now. Let's go ahead and make sure our major cities are safe."
Meadows added he's watching what the federal-local partnership will mean for the city's future.
"I look forward to seeing what happens in D.C., not just with crime, but also with what's going to happen with Union Station and other parts of the city as we have this federal-local partnership," he said.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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