Sen. Markwayne Mullin, Republican of Oklahoma, reportedly offered a stark personal example Wednesday of the insecurity many Americans feel in the nation’s capital — an insecurity he says justifies President Trump’s unprecedented federal intervention in local policing.
Appearing on Fox News’s The Ingraham Angle, Mullin described a calculated decision he makes when driving in Washington, D.C. “I drive around in Washington, D.C., in my Jeep — and yes, I do drive myself — and I don’t buckle up,” Mullin told host Brian Kilmeade.
“And the reason why I don’t buckle up… is because of carjacking. I don’t want to be stuck in my vehicle when I need to exit in a hurry… and I wear my seatbelt all the time. But in Washington, D.C., I do not, because it is so prevalent of carjacking.”
The senator added that he did not want “the same thing [to] happen to me what’s happened to a lot of people that work on [Capitol] Hill.”
The remarks come as President Trump moves aggressively to address what his administration describes as an intolerable wave of crime in the city.
Earlier this week, Trump announced he was assuming direct control of the Metropolitan Police Department and deploying hundreds of National Guard soldiers to help secure the streets — a move made possible by a provision in Washington’s Home Rule Act that allows federalization of the police force for up to 30 days without congressional approval.
The decision was triggered by a particularly brazen crime: the carjacking of a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer by a group of teenagers. While the attack outraged many, Democrats and liberal activists have criticized the president’s actions as heavy-handed and politically motivated.
Trump, however, signaled Wednesday from the Kennedy Center that he intends to go further, suggesting that if crime in the capital remains an emergency, he could seek to extend the takeover without waiting for Congress. “Well, if it’s a national emergency, we can do it without Congress,” Trump said. He added that he plans to meet “very quickly” with lawmakers and expects to secure Republican support.
That support is already taking shape. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said on social media that he and Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama are working with the administration on legislation to bolster the effort. “Together, we will try to shepherd the DC Security Fund through Congress to give President Trump the resources he will need to improve the safety and quality of life in our nation’s capital,” Graham wrote.
“Every American should be behind this effort to make Washington, DC clean and safe so that it can truly become the shining city on the hill.”
Democrats, however, are drawing a line. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York dismissed the possibility of cooperation. “No f—ing way,” he told podcast host Aaron Parnas. “We’ll fight him tooth and nail… and not only are we not going to approve it, but there are some Republicans who don’t like either.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also condemned the move, labeling it an “authoritarian push” and pointing to statistics showing a decline in crime.
She has used the controversy to renew her call for the District to gain statehood — a long-standing Democratic priority that would end the president’s ability to directly seize control of the city’s police force.
For Trump and his allies, however, the focus remains on immediate safety. As Mullin put it, crime in Washington has reached a point where even a U.S. senator avoids buckling his seatbelt, choosing instead to be ready for a quick escape.
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