"We reported that certain areas of the city seemed safer since the National Guardsmen arrived, that the local crime statistics generally supported this impression, and that the soldiers were professional and restrained in their dealings with the locals. The politician didn't contest much of this, but noted that residents didn't like the National Guard presence-my friends and I commute into the city from the nearby suburbs-and the data showed some area businesses were being harmed as a result."
"A lot of local attitudes about the National Guard deployment have more to do with people's feelings about President Donald Trump than their views about crime in the nation's capital. More than 90 percent of the city voted against Trump, who received just 6.5 percent of the ballots cast there last year. The federal district was one of the few places where Trump didn't even win the Republican primary."
Less than a week before a fatal ambush, a local politician and commuters discussed the National Guard deployment and observed that certain areas of Washington, DC, seemed safer after the Guardsmen arrived. Local crime statistics generally supported that impression and the soldiers were described as professional and restrained. The politician noted commuter perspectives and reported that some area businesses were harmed by the presence. Much opposition among residents stems from feelings about President Donald Trump—more than 90 percent of the city voted against him and he received just 6.5 percent of DC ballots. Many residents view the Guardsmen as an occupying force rather than as support for local law enforcement. The ambush suspect was an Afghan national who had worked with the U.S. government, including the CIA, during the 20-year, post-9/11 war, allegedly driving from Washington state to commit the crime.
Read at The American Conservative
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