Trump triumphs as crime plummets in Washington, DC

Consider the minimum wage. Raising it provides an immediate boost to minimum wage workers. But there's a lot of evidence that it reduces hours and job opportunities for low-skill workers. It can lead businesses to increase automation. Over years and decades, an abundance of regulations can produce reduced economic growth. While there's ample evidence for these long-term outcomes, they are rarely immediately apparent. And the argument continues.

That's why what happened in Washington, D.C., is so notable. Last month, President Donald Trump declared that crime there was too high and that he would reduce it. Think about the political risk that Trump was taking. If he failed, it'd be obvious to the entire country. Most elected officials would likely conclude that the political risk outweighed the real-world benefits.

Not Trump. Using the unique authority that he has over the capital city, he called in the troops — literally. He mobilized the National Guard. He surged federal law enforcement officers onto the streets. He ignored the political opposition.

Less than a month later, his success is obvious. Over the first 20 days of the federal surge, carjackings fell by 87 percent. Robberies dropped 62 percent. The city even went 12 days without a homicide, which unfortunately didn't happen often before this intervention.

Even D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has praised the move.

"We know that we have had fewer gun crimes, fewer homicides and we have experienced an extreme reduction in carjackings," she said Wednesday. "We greatly appreciate the surge of officers."

This is a good thing. Americans from every state should be happy that their capital city is safer now than it was before. It's great news for D.C. residents, too. Many wealthy liberals don't understand the stress and anxiety of living in a high-crime neighborhood. When you don't live in a gated community, reducing crime is a top priority, not merely an esoteric political debate.

Instead of reflexively opposing almost everything Trump does, Democrats should follow his lead. After all, almost every large city with high crime is run by Democrats. In Nevada, Gov. Joe Lombardo has tried to increase criminal penalties that are too lax. Legislative Democrats have stopped him from doing so.

The left's obstinacy may carry a heavy political price. The public prioritizes public safety. And as Trump has shown in Washington, D.C., vigorously enforcing the law, not progressive preening, is what reduces crime.

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