The Department of Justice formally declares New York City, Seattle, and Portland “anarchist cities” in an attempt to cut federal funding from the Democrat-led cities.
The move comes three weeks after Donald Trump signed an executive order which “threatened to withhold federal funding from cities where the administration said state and local officials have cut police department funding, refused offers for help from the federal government, and failed to rein in violence.”
“This is thoroughly political and unconstitutional. The President is playing cheap political games with Congressionally directed funds,” the three mayors said in a joint statement Monday. “What the Trump Administration is engaging in now is more of what we’ve seen all along: shirking responsibility and placing blame elsewhere to cover its failure.”
Detroit Free Press
The Trump administration has spent months creating a narrative that Democratic leadership in major cities are encouraging violence and chaos by “Antifa terrorists” and Black Lives Matter rioters.
We cannot allow federal tax dollars to be wasted when the safety of the citizenry hangs in the balance. It is my hope that the cities identified by the Department of Justice today will reverse course and become serious about performing the basic function of government and start protecting their own citizens.
William Barr
It is unlikely that Trump will be able to carry out his plan, but the narrative has fueled his supporters in recent months, especially white supremacist militias.
At a news conference Monday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he saw “anything but anarchy” as he greeted preschool children in Queens on their first day back in the classroom. The city’s corporation counsel also said officials will sue the Trump administration if it withholds federal funding.
Detroit Free Press
I understand the politics, but when you try to manipulate and distort government agencies to play politics, which is what the Trump administration has done from day one … this is more of the same… The president can’t supersede the law and say I’m going to make those funds basically discretionary funds, which is what he would have to do… If they actually do this, we will challenge it legally, and they will lose once again.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
Sources
https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2020/09/21/doj-calls-new-york-portland-seattle-anarchist-may-withhold-funds/5851329002/
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/doj-designates-new-york-city-as-an-anarchist-jurisdiction/2627588/
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/03/politics/trump-memo-democrat-funding/index.html
Photo: Public Domain
