Democrats Condemn Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ Rhetoric in D.C. Crime Crackdown

President Donald Trump’s description of his new federal crackdown on violent crime in Washington, D.C., as a potential “Liberation Day” has drawn sharp criticism from several Democratic officials. Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey said in an interview that the phrase amounts to a coded appeal to “white power,” contending that the President’s rhetoric and enforcement priorities disproportionately target cities led by Black mayors and jurisdictions that welcome immigrants. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass echoed the concern, saying the D.C. operation exemplifies an approach that “goes after young Black and brown youth.” The backlash highlights the widening partisan dispute over Trump’s law-and-order agenda, which the White House argues is aimed at curbing surging gun violence in the nation’s capital. The administration has not responded directly to the racism allegations, and the underlying crime initiative remains on course.