Right after President Trump revealed his plans to tackle violent crime in Washington, D.C. on Monday, MSNBC contributor Eddie Grad mentioned he’s trying to keep his “temper” in check.
The president has declared a “public safety emergency,” sending in the National Guard to help combat crime in the area. During the “Chris Yangsing Report,” Grad expressed his doubts about Trump’s sincerity in addressing crime, suggesting the president might not be fully engaged with the issues.
He stated, “Honestly, I’m trying to maintain my calm. It seems there’s a persistent internal debate he’s having regarding black lives, as well as discussions around criminal justice and police reform.” He emphasized that Trump doesn’t appear to be genuinely interested in addressing the deeper causes of rising crime rates and criticized the reliance on police methods that, in his view, don’t foster effective solutions.
“We have to consider Trump’s racial politics in this context,” Grad added, implying that there are ulterior motives behind the administration’s actions, especially regarding the negative attention on matters like Jeffrey Epstein. “If you approach this like a logical response, you miss the larger political games at play,” he commented, voicing concern over how this could affect the democratic process in the district.
Additionally, Trump announced that Attorney General Pam Bondy would oversee the federal engagement with the Metropolitan Police Department.
Despite a 26% drop in violent crime compared to 2024, 2025 has already seen 99 murders, according to Metropolitan Police Department data.
Violent crime incidents have become more prominent in various capitals lately. Recently, Edward Colistine, a former government staff member, was seriously injured while attempting to intervene in a woman’s carjacking at around 3 a.m. on August 5. In another incident on June 30, a suspect reportedly fired shots during a gang-related event, resulting in the death of 21-year-old Congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Yachim near a metro station. In May, two Israeli embassy staff members were fatally shot outside the capital’s Jewish Museum by a suspect named Elias Rodriguez.
