Posted Photos of Homeless Tents on Social Media as a Warning
"We Will Provide Shelter, But It Will Be Far from the Capital"
U.S. President Donald Trump posted photos of homeless people he saw on his way to a golf course on social media, announcing plans for their forced eviction.
According to the British daily The Guardian on the 10th (local time), President Trump uploaded four photos to his Truth Social account that day, along with the message, "The homeless must leave immediately." He added, "We will provide a place for them to stay, but it will be far from the capital," and announced that he would hold a press conference on the matter at the White House on the morning of the 11th.
A Truth Social post by U.S. President Donald Trump announcing the eviction of homeless people. Screenshot of President Trump's Truth Social post
The Guardian explained that this post was uploaded shortly after President Trump traveled from the White House to a Virginia golf club. All of the attached photos were taken during the presidential motorcade's journey from the White House to the golf course. Two of the photos show ten tents pitched on the grass near a highway entrance ramp about 1.6 kilometers from the White House. The third photo shows a person sleeping on the steps of the American Pharmaceutical Research Institute building. Ultimately, President Trump used social media to warn the homeless people who caught his attention on his way to the golf course that if they did not voluntarily leave Washington, D.C., they would be forcibly evicted.
President Trump has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the administration of Washington, D.C., which leans strongly Democratic, and has hinted that the federal government could revoke the city's autonomy. In particular, following the assault of Edward Corristine, known as a "Musk kid," on the 3rd, he expressed his intention to make Washington, D.C. a federally administered district.
According to The Washington Post (WP) and others, the White House deployed 450 federal law enforcement officers across Washington, D.C. over the weekend, and 120 FBI agents were mobilized to respond to nighttime vehicle robbery incidents. The administration is also considering deploying several hundred National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. Additionally, in June, the Trump administration faced controversy for deploying the National Guard to suppress protests against an illegal immigrant crackdown in Los Angeles, California.
The Guardian: "Homelessness in Washington, D.C. is not a serious problem"
However, The Guardian reported that, contrary to President Trump's claims, homelessness and violent crime in Washington, D.C. are not at a critical level.
According to community organizations working to address homelessness in Washington, D.C., a city with a population of about 700,000, approximately 800 homeless people sleep outdoors each night. Additionally, 3,275 people use emergency shelters, and 1,065 reside in temporary housing facilities.
According to data from the Metropolitan Police Department released by the federal government in January, violent crime in Washington, D.C. last year decreased by 35% compared to the previous year, reaching its lowest level in 30 years. Muriel Bowser, the Democratic mayor of Washington, D.C., also emphasized in an interview with MSNBC, "For the past two years, we have worked to reduce violent crime in this city, and as a result, it is now at its lowest level in 30 years." She added, "According to police statistics, violent crime has decreased by an additional 26% so far this year."
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