President Donald Trump has recently portrayed Washington, D.C. as a city overwhelmed by "bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse," continuing a longstanding pattern in his political rhetoric. His statements about the city have been widely noted to echo historical racist narratives that associate urban crime with minority communities. This rhetoric has been linked to his efforts to take over Washington police operations, a move that critics say perpetuates these racialized crime narratives. Multiple news outlets have highlighted the continuity of this theme in Trump's discourse, underscoring its role as a persistent grievance and political tool in his public messaging.