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It is being reported that President Donald Trump has ordered the federal government to review funding of four Democratic-controlled cities that he claims have allowed 'lawlessness' and 'anarchy' to pervade. These four cities, New York City, Portland, Seattle, and Washington D.C. have all seen massive protests, and a spate of rioting in a summer of rage following the killing of George Floyd in May.
The ongoing protests have seen the worst outbreak of civil disorder since the late 1960s and have involved millions of people protesting against police brutality, racism and the current U.S. government.
In a Memo, Trump states:
"My Administration will not allow Federal tax dollars to fund cities that allow themselves to deteriorate into lawless zones. To ensure that Federal funds are neither unduly wasted nor spent in a manner that directly violates our Government's promise to protect life, liberty, and property, it is imperative that the Federal Government review the use of Federal funds by jurisdictions that permit anarchy, violence, and destruction in America's cities."
It is clear that he wishes to put pressure on police forces within the area to come down harder on protestors. In many of these cities, there has been widespread discussion regarding the defunding of police departments, and in Portland, President Trump sent in federal forces to quell ongoing protests and law-breaking.
The memo also asks Attorney General William Barr to compile a list of "anarchist jurisdictions" that have:
"Permitted violence and the destruction of property to persist and have refused to undertake reasonable measures."
The president overtly blames New York Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio for allowing the violence to continue. Stating that arrests are way down. It goes on:
"While violence has surged, arrests have plummeted. In a 28-day period during the months of June and July, [New York City] arrests were down 62 percent from the same period in 2019. Amidst the rising violence, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Council agreed to cut one billion dollars from the New York Police Department (NYPD) budget, including by cancelling the hiring of 1,163 officers."
While some believe that the rioting is causing Trump to lose support others see it as a key to winning back his base of support who wish to see harsher tactics taken against Black Lives Matter and the wider protest movement. With only a few months to go to election, how Trump reacts going forward may be key to his chances of being re-elected, he is currently trailing Joe Biden in polls.
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