Crews dismantled a homeless encampment in a park near the Lincoln Monument in Washington D.C., as part of a broader initiative prompted by President Trump's comments. Many individuals living in these encampments, like David Beatty, express uncertainty about their futures after being uprooted. President Trump characterized the unhoused along with criminals and those with addictions, stating they must vacate the streets. Activists point out that there are approximately 800-900 homeless individuals in Washington, emphasizing that the removal of encampments fails to confront the deeper housing crisis.
David Beatty, age 65, looked on as a bulldozer scooped up tents and other belongings and shoveled them into a garbage truck. "It just feels wrong to me. The idea that we're poor makes them uncomfortable. They don't want to be reminded that poor people exist," he said.
During a press conference this week at the White House, Trump lumped unhoused Americans like Beatty, together with criminals, people experiencing drug addiction and mental illness and said they all must leave the streets or vacate D.C. immediately.
Activists and experts on homelessness generally agree that roughly 800-900 people sleep on Washington's streets on any given night in the summer. Many of them, like Beatty, say they don't have safe, affordable options as camps like this one are uprooted.
Dana White is with a group called Miriam's Kitchen that works to end chronic homelessness in Washington. He said Trump's purge of people without housing doesn't address the underlying lack of affordable housing.
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