President Donald Trump's use of federal law enforcement to secure Washington, D.C., has majority support among Americans, but political strategist Dick Morris warned on Newsmax on Saturday that deploying the National Guard more broadly would be a dangerous step.
"It is because once in a while, at some point, these guard troops who are not trained police officers could commit a George Floyd or a Rodney King and set off nationwide reaction," Morris told "The Count." "The proper approach is what Trump is about to do, I think, which is to ban federal aid to jurisdictions that do not help him enforce the law."
A recent poll showed 53% of adults approve of Trump's security approach in the capital, a higher rating than his marks on immigration, the economy or the Russia-Ukraine war.
Trump has suggested similar measures for cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles, but Morris argued the better strategy is for the White House to cut federal funding to cities that refuse to cooperate with law enforcement or pursue tough anti-crime policies.
Morris also highlighted a new administration move to close the "de minimis" loophole on small imported packages. Under the old $800 exemption, he explained, shipments arriving by FedEx or UPS were not inspected, allowing narcotics to enter unchecked.
"Trump is ending that. We're going to inspect all of these parcels because they're the ones that contain narcotics and the ones we have to go after," he said.
Morris also criticized Democratic leaders such as Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who issued an executive order preventing city employees from cooperating with federal law enforcement.
"It really is incredible. They are falling into the trap," he said, adding that leaders such as Johnson, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are pursuing policies that appeal to the left but alienate the broader electorate.
"When the Democratic Party loses elections, they always move to the left because their constituency demands it," Morris said. "They are assuring that they can get nominated but never get elected."
The shift is also pushing moderates out of Democratic primaries, leaving "crazy leftists" to dominate, Morris said.
"This has happened before," he concluded, warning that Democrats risk locking themselves into candidates who can win primaries in deep-blue states and cities but not national elections.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.