For four years, small businesses across America faced a rising crime wave. Hardworking job creators saw their storefronts vandalized, shelves looted, and unchecked violent crime that drove away customers. Many business owners who survived the Biden economy — including excessive regulation and rampant inflation — were rewarded only with smashed windows and stolen livelihoods.
Today, 81 percent of Americans say that crime is a “major problem” in our largest cities — the same cities where “defund the police” politics took hold in 2020, further exposing businesses and their employees as cashless bail and weak sentencing protected criminals.
When offenders know there are no consequences, Main Street pays the price — and nowhere is that truer than in Washington, D.C.
Theft in our nation’s capital — including the retail theft that overwhelmingly impacts small business owners — rose by 20 percent from 2020 to 2024. At the end of last year, the city had the fourth-highest homicide rate in the country. If D.C. were a state, it would rank as the deadliest, despite being 5 percent of the size of Rhode Island.
Whether you’re a small business owner whose store was vandalized and robbed, a senior citizen attacked at a Metro station, an Uber Eats driver senselessly murdered, a member of Congress carjacked, a White House correspondent robbed at gunpoint, or even a three year old child gunned down in the streets, violent crime has tragically touched every corner of Washington.
President Donald J. Trump promised to restore law and order to all of America. His recent decision to invoke Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act and deploy National Guard units to the streets of D.C. delivers on that promise with real results. It is a strong signal to every family, worker, and job creator across America that this Administration has their back.
Since the President’s life-saving order, crime is has plummeted in Washington, D.C. Law enforcement have made over 1,100 arrests, including arrests of criminal illegal aliens and Tren de Aragua gang members. Violent crime has fallen 45 percent, with a 15 percent reduction overall.
Residents feel safe commuting to school and work. The law-abiding majority can enjoy their neighborhoods and visit small businesses without fear of lawless attacks. Even Mayor Muriel Bowser agrees that President Trump has made the city safer.
This early success is proof that when leaders get tough on crime, law and order follows.
For too long, the crime in our nation’s capital has normalized chaos in cities across our country. Today, President Trump is showing Governors and Mayors that the tide can be turned. And from coast to coast, our citizens can see – thanks to the President’s actions — that we can win the fight against lawlessness.
The America First agenda has always been about finally standing up for our citizens, whether they live in rural Appalachia or urban city centers. That means restoring safety for communities and families — but also for workers and small businesses who power our economy. These are the cashiers, servers, sales associates, and gig-economy drivers who can now live without the fear of senseless violence.
As the last four years have shown with rising store closures in cities, small businesses cannot thrive without strong leadership on public safety.
President Trump’s bold action is as much about fighting for parents, students, and workers as it is empowering the thousands of small businesses who serve our communities and keep them vibrant.
President Trump isn’t just taking back the streets of Washington, D.C. He is taking back Main Street.