#NNPA BlackPress

COMMENTARY: Trump Wrong to Federalize Policing in Washington, DC

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The 700,000 residents of the capital are as entitled to self-government as other Americans are and will hopefully eventually achieve statehood. We do not need to be occupied by the National Guard and a federalized police force as if we were an enemy nation conquered in war.

Published

7 months ago

August 19, 2025

admin

By A. Scott Bolden

President Donald Trump sounded like a 19th-century European colonialist justifying the subjugation of “savage natives” in “darkest Africa” when he recently ordered a federal takeover of the police force in Washington, D.C, and deployed 800 National Guard troops in the city.

This followed Trump’s order assigning 500 federal law enforcement officers — including FBI agents who should be protecting the nation against major threats — to combat D.C. street crime.

Black people make up the largest racial group in Washington — about 43 percent — and the city’s mayor, police chief and non-voting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives are all Black. The president seems to believe they are incapable of fighting crime.

Trump falsely claimed in an Aug. 11 news conference that D.C. “has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people.” Not coincidentally, Trump used his news conference to also attack other cities run by Black mayors: Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Oakland.

I’ve lived in Washington for decades. It is a beautiful city, drawing visitors for safe and enjoyable trips from around the world — not the nightmarish hellhole Trump described. We have some of the world’s finest museums, monuments, parks, neighborhoods, and public spaces.

Trump notably failed to mention that crime in Washington fell 35 percent to its lowest level in 30 years in 202,4, and violent crime has plummeted an additional 26 percent so far this year. Some people may not feel safe in Washington, but the significant drop in crime in the capital city hardly qualifies as the “public safety emergency” Trump said existed.

Alarmingly, Trump said that under his orders, police “are allowed to do whatever the hell they want.” What does that mean?

Does the president claim police can violate the constitutional rights of anyone and break any laws they want in their zeal to somehow reduce crime? Is he giving himself the power to allow police to beat or even kill suspected criminals without accountability? Under Trump’s order, will we see more Black people murdered by police, as George Floyd was in Minneapolis in 2020?

Trump has no power to violate the Constitution and laws, no matter how much he wishes he did.

The president’s action overriding the powers of the local government in D.C. constitutes a brazen power grab and a desperate publicity stunt designed to distract attention from his years-long friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He also wants to portray himself falsely — the first convicted felon to serve as president — as a tough-on-crime supporter of police.

The truth is that Trump is the best friend criminals have — as long as they break the law in support of him. He proved this by pardoning about 1,500 people — most of them white — accused or already convicted of crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot that was designed to keep him in power after he was defeated in the 2020 presidential election. Rioters violently attacked and injured about 140 police officers, including five officers who later died.

Washington already has more police officers per capita than any state or large U.S. city. Turning over the police department to federal officials without local knowledge and no hands-on policing experience — assisted by National Guardsmen without law enforcement training — won’t improve the police department’s performance. It will make things worse.

A better way to help D.C. strengthen its police department would be for the U.S. House to approve legislation allowing the city government to spend $1 billion of its local tax dollars on police and other programs this year. Unfortunately, the Republican-controlled House has failed to approve legislation to do this by correcting a mistake in a federal spending bill.

Reducing crime requires more than putting police on the streets and making arrests. It requires a series of policies to prevent crimes, not just respond to them.

More federal funding for private-public partnerships with local businesses and houses of worship can create alternative paths for young people to help them stay out of trouble, graduate from high school, and go on to job training, college, or careers. Programs like these are far cheaper than tracking down and imprisoning criminals, and are more effective at protecting public safety.

Mayor Muriel Bowser said the federal government could do more to reduce crime if it funded more prosecutors in the district and filled the 15 vacancies on the D.C. Superior Court, including some that have gone unfilled for years.

Because the District of Columbia is not a state, the president and Congress have greater power to exercise control than they do over the 50 states. Trump recently said he has asked lawyers to study congressional repeal of the 1973 D.C. Home Rule Act, which gave residents of the capital limited self-government and the right to elect a mayor and city council. Before the act’s passage, the president appointed commissioners who ran local government like colonial overseers.

Increased federal control of Washington is the exact opposite course the president should follow. Rather than denouncing and demonizing city officials as adversaries and falsely portraying Washington, he ought to work with city leaders as allies to reduce crime, homelessness, and other problems that affect all big cities.

The 700,000 residents of the capital are as entitled to self-government as other Americans are and will hopefully eventually achieve statehood. We do not need to be occupied by the National Guard and a federalized police force as if we were an enemy nation conquered in war.

Having the federal government increase its control of D.C. local affairs is a mistake that the president should reconsider, and Congress should halt if he refuses.

A. Scott Bolden is an attorney, NewsNation contributor, former chair of the Washington, D.C. Democratic Party and a former New York state prosecutor.

admin

Posts by admin

Up Next

COMMENTARY: My American Story

Don't Miss

Trump Targets Black-Led Cities Despite Record Crime Declines

admin

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

Poll Shows Support for Policies That Help Families Afford Child Care

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

Oakland Post

By First Five Years Fund

New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

The national survey was conducted by UpOne Insight on behalf of the First Five Years Fund from January 13–18, 2026.

Key findings include:

• Parents need help: 80% of voters say the ability of working parents to find and afford child care is either in a state of crisis or a major problem.

• This is an affordability issue: 82% believe federal child care funding will help lower costs for working families — including 69% of Republicans, 84% of Independents, and 94% of Democrats.

• And there continues to be strong support (62%) for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a federal program that makes it possible for hundreds of thousands of families to afford safe, quality care for their children while parents work or go to school, including a majority of Republicans, 63% of Independents and 72% of Democrats.

• Support for funding child care programs remains strong: 75% believe child care funding should be increased or kept at current levels — including 75% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 97% of Democrats.

• 74% say funding for child care is an important and good use of tax dollars, including a majority of Republicans, three-quarters of Independents, and nine in ten Democrats.

FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling said, “Voters across the country are sending a clear message: federal child care and early learning programs work. These investments help parents stay in the workforce, strengthen families, and support healthy child development. They have also long had strong bipartisan support in Congress. At a time when affordability is top of mind for families, continued federal funding is essential to ensure child care remains accessible and within reach.”

First Five Years Fund works to protect, prioritize, and build bipartisan support for quality child care and early learning programs at the federal level. Reliable, affordable, and high-quality early learning and child care can be transformative, not only enhancing a child’s prospects for a brighter future but also bolstering working parents and fostering economic stability nationwide.

We work with Congress and the Administration to identify federal solutions that work for families with young children, as well as states and communities. We work with policymakers to identify ways to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care and early learning programs for children. And we collaborate with advocacy groups to help align best practices with the best possible policies. http://www.ffyf.org

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Trump’s MAGA Allies are Creating Executive Order Plan to Steal the 2026 Midterms

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

Published

6 days ago

February 27, 2026

Oakland Post

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

A group of MAGA pro-Trump activists, who say they are working in coordination with the White House, are circulating a 17-page draft executive order that would claim without evidence that China interfered with the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential to President Joe Biden by over 7 million votes. Since Trump lost to Biden in 2020, he has repeatedly claimed that the election was “stolen” without evidence. The report of a group of “Trump allies” preparing an executive order to give Trump power over elections was first reported by The Washington Post.

The lies around the right-wing campaign that pushed falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen was trafficked through right-wing media, particularly Fox News. Fox News was then sued for defamation for the claims by Dominion Voting Systems. Fox lost the case and had to settle for the largest defamation amount on record of $787.5 million in April 2023.

The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

The story in The Washington Post arrives as Trump increasingly signals that he may take actions that would alter the result of the 2026 midterms. The Republicans are widely expected to lose as their approval ratings plummet as a result of a failing economy under Trump. Over 50 members of Congress have announced they will retire this year and not return in 2027.

The Trump Department of Justice, which now has a large image of Trump on the side of it, “sued five new states Thursday [Feb. 26, 2026] demanding access to their unredacted voter rolls — escalating a campaign that has been rejected by multiple federal courts and faces resistance from Republican-led states as well,” according to Democracy Docket, a group that works to protect voting rights.

Trump claimed back in late 2020, the last year of his first term, that he had the authority to issue an executive order related to mail-in voting for the 2020 elections — which he would then lose. But the Constitution states that control of elections lies with the states. As the GOP works to place hurdles in front of voting, Democrats worked to make voting easier.

In March 2021, President Biden signed an executive order calling on federal agencies to expand voting access as part of the Biden Administration’s effort “to promote and defend the right to vote for all Americans who are legally entitled to participate in elections.”

Trump’s focus is clearly on altering the November 2026 midterm elections. Trump’s polling numbers and the elections and special elections that have taken place around the U.S. over the last year clearly indicate that Republicans are about to be hit by a blue wave of Democratic victories.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the founder of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears on #RolandMartinUnfiltered and hosts the show LAUREN LIVE on YouTube @LaurenVictoriaBurke. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

PRESS ROOM: NBA Hall of Fame Nominee Terry Cummings Joins 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to Launch Victory & Values Initiative

NNPA NEWSWIRE — NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th.

Published

6 days ago

February 27, 2026

admin

Cummings becomes an honorary member, joining other role model sports stars

NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings has officially become an honorary member of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County, marking a powerful new chapter for the 100 Black Men and youth development across the region.

Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th. The moment signified more than membership — it marked the launch of the organization’s transformative new platform, the Victory & Values Initiative.

The Victory & Values Initiative is a groundbreaking youth development program designed to empower elementary and middle school students through a dynamic blend of sports, mentorship, and STEM exposure. The initiative focuses on building health, discipline, character, leadership, and access to opportunity — creating pathways for long-term academic and personal success.

“This is about more than sports,” said Cummings during the ceremony. “It’s about using the platform of athletics to teach life lessons, create access, and build the next generation of leaders.”

The induction ceremony also featured notable guests including NASCAR’s newest Star Driver, Lavar Scott and NASCAR Director of Athletic Performance, Phil Horton, who joined Cummings for a powerful Victory & Values Town Hall discussion. The Town Hall was moderated by renowned Sports Emcee John Hollins and focused on leadership, resilience, discipline, and the importance of mentorship in shaping young lives.

A “Day at NASCAR” for 75+ Youth

Cummings wasted no time getting to work. On his first full day as an honorary member, he joined his new brothers of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to host a “Day at NASCAR,” escorting more than 75 youth to a once-in-a-lifetime experience at EchoPark Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).

The youth participants received behind-the-scenes access including: an exclusive tour of Pit Row, access to the Garage Area and exploration of the interactive Fan Zone.

The experience culminated with a surprise meet-and-greet and Q&A session with NASCAR Superstar Bubba Wallace, who shared insights on perseverance, preparation, and breaking barriers in professional sports.

The day served as a living example of the ‘Victory & Values’ Initiative in action — exposing youth to new industries, expanding their vision for the future, and connecting them directly with high- level mentors and role models.

Building Leaders Through Access and Mentorship

The 100 Black Men of DeKalb County – a chapter of the largest, national mentoring organization in the county – continues to expand its footprint with programs focused on academic excellence, economic empowerment, leadership development, and health & wellness.

The launch of ‘Victory & Values’ represents a strategic expansion of the organization’s impact

intentionally integrating athletics and STEM to engage youth at an early age while reinforcing core principles such as integrity, accountability, teamwork, and perseverance.

“Our mission has always been to mentor the next generation,” said Vaughn Irons, President-Elect of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County. “With Terry Cummings joining the brotherhood, along with partners in NASCAR and professional sports, we are creating unprecedented access and exposure for our youth. Victory & Values is about turning inspiration into structured opportunity.”

By connecting elementary and middle school students to professional athletes, executives, STEM professionals, and community leaders, the initiative aims to:

Increase youth exposure to careers in sports business, engineering, and performance science
Strengthen mentorship pipelines
Promote physical wellness and mental resilience
Build character-driven leadership at an early age

Open Invitation to Youth and Families

All youth are invited to participate in the Victory & Values Initiative, along with the other countless, impactful programs offered by the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County.

Parents and guardians seeking mentorship, leadership development, academic enrichment, and transformative exposure opportunities for their children are encouraged to connect with the organization.

As NBA Legend Terry Cummings’ induction demonstrates, Victory & Values is more than a program — it is a movement designed to build champions in life, not just in sports.

For more information about the Victory & Values Initiative or to enroll a student, contact: 100 Black Men of DeKalb County at Phone at 404.241.1338, info@100bmod.org or Tee Foxx at 404.791.6525,