Former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe commented on President Trump’s recent decision to deploy National Guard troops, suggesting it might not be effective due to the soldiers’ lack of familiarity with community policing.
“Even the most skilled and well-trained FBI agents, including those in the SWAT team, understand this,” McCabe told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “They don’t have the community connection. They don’t engage in community policing like local officers do day in and day out.”
“And if FBI agents lack this skill set, I can assure you, the National Guard doesn’t possess it either,” he added.
Trump activated the National Guard just days after some former officials expressed concerns about increasing “crime, bloodshed, and disorder.”
However, local leaders countered this move, referencing statistics that showed crime rates in the nation’s capital were at their lowest in three decades.
“There’s no evidence that deploying these troops will actually impact crime rates. The justification provided by the president doesn’t hold up,” McCabe stated.
“The basis for this declaration is fundamentally flawed because what he stated in the press conference is not accurate,” he remarked.
This marks the second occasion Trump has called in the National Guard during his presidency. Previously, troops were deployed to Los Angeles amid protests related to immigration policies.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser noted that Trump’s actions are unusual yet not entirely unexpected given past rhetoric. She speculated that his response may be influenced by previous fears from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Yes, we faced crime spikes related to Covid, but we’ve also seen a significant drop in crime as we enacted laws and removed violent criminals from the streets,” Bowser explained. “Crime has been on the decline since 2023, and it’s been low since 2019, making it the safest period in 30 years.”
She asserted that local police are working diligently to maintain this trend.
In contrast, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed doubts about the effectiveness of military presence in curbing crime. “The military isn’t the solution for fostering community safety,” she stated during her CNN appearance.
Trump’s troop deployment was conducted under Washington’s Home Rules Act, which grants the president authority to act in urgent situations.
