Elisabeth Bumiller: Trump’s D.C. Takeover Is a ‘Very Good Television for the President’

LEMIRE Elisabeth Bumiller let ░░░░░░░░ go to you here ░░░░░░░░ just give us your ░░░░░░░░ of you know what ░░░░░░░░ could mean for the ░░░░░░░░ Is this are they ░░░░░░░░ this out Is this ░░░░░░░░ of a testing ground ░░░░░░░░ they feel like look ░░░░░░░░ know maybe this is ░░░░░░░░ in Washington We could ░░░░░░░░ it elsewhere in other ░░░░░░░░ too BUMILLER Well I ░░░░░░░░ right now a lot ░░░░░░░░ this is theatrics A ░░░░░░░░ of this is just ░░░░░░░░ s you know we ░░░░░░░░ known for decades that ░░░░░░░░ are run like to ░░░░░░░░ on tough on crime ░░░░░░░░ There s midterms coming ░░░░░░░░ in a little more ░░░░░░░░ a year It s ░░░░░░░░ a very good distraction ░░░░░░░░ Jeffrey Epstein as we ░░░░░░░░ all pointed out I ░░░░░░░░ right now I think ░░░░░░░░ lot of this is ░░░░░░░░ it s very good ░░░░░░░░ for the president and ░░░░░░░░ description of Washington as ░░░░░░░░ as one of my ░░░░░░░░ at The Times called ░░░░░░░░ sort of you know ░░░░░░░░ Mad Max hellscape with ░░░░░░░░ gangs and violence everywhere ░░░░░░░░ just completely out of ░░░░░░░░ with the reality Yes ░░░░░░░░ s crime here but ░░░░░░░░ s down And I ░░░░░░░░ right now last night ░░░░░░░░ saw these troops on ░░░░░░░░ mall around the monuments ░░░░░░░░ were there was nothing ░░░░░░░░ them to do They ░░░░░░░░ they were taking pictures ░░░░░░░░ themselves with with visitors ░░░░░░░░ with tourists They hung ░░░░░░░░ for about two hours ░░░░░░░░ then they went back ░░░░░░░░ s just it s ░░░░░░░░ very striking And right ░░░░░░░░ again they re not ░░░░░░░░ to be arresting anyone ░░░░░░░░ it s unclear exactly ░░░░░░░░ you said what they ░░░░░░░░ going to do They ░░░░░░░░ going to Kash Patel ░░░░░░░░ yesterday that they had ░░░░░░░░ in 23 arrests and ░░░░░░░░ it was a big ░░░░░░░░ but there s an ░░░░░░░░ of 68 arrests every ░░░░░░░░ in Washington So it ░░░░░░░░ again it s not ░░░░░░░░ clear yet how much ░░░░░░░░ re going to make ░░░░░░░░ difference However just to ░░░░░░░░ to finish this up ░░░░░░░░ think that the president ░░░░░░░░ looking at as he ░░░░░░░░ Baltimore Chicago New York ░░░░░░░░ those are going to ░░░░░░░░ very different cities right ░░░░░░░░ He does have authority ░░░░░░░░ Washington but he does ░░░░░░░░ have authority uh uh ░░░░░░░░ least under these conditions ░░░░░░░░ in the other cities ░░░░░░░░ it s going to ░░░░░░░░ a much bigger fight ░░░░░░░░ those cities if he ░░░░░░░░ it.”