President Trump said on Monday that he would take control of the Washington, D.C., police department and send hundreds of National Guard troops to the city.
Devlin Barrett, who covers the F.B.I. for The New York Times, explains why the president says this is necessary and how it fits into his broader strategy for dealing with cities run by Democrats.
Yesterday
The Young Economic Populists Reshaping the Left
College graduates used to lean right politically, but over the past few decades, they have increasingly moved to the left. Today, Noam Scheiber, the author of “Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class,” explains the economic forces that have left many col ... Show More
37m 25s
Jun 10
The Iran War's Devastating Butterfly Effect
The war in Iran has had some visible consequences, like skyrocketing energy costs and higher gas prices, but the effects of this war are often far less obvious and much more serious for the world’s most vulnerable people. Today, Peter S. Goodman tells us what he learned on a rece ... Show More
26m 56s
Jun 9
Maine Votes as Graham Platner’s Past Poses New Conundrums
On Tuesday, Maine will vote in a high-stakes primary contest for a Senate seat that Democrats think they can win back from Republicans for the first time in decades. Democrats are pinning their hopes on Graham Platner, a progressive who has faced a string of scandals. Today, Lisa ... Show More
37m 47s
Sep 2025
Trump Says D.C. Is Now ‘Crime Free.’ What’s The Reality?
After nearly a month of federal law enforcement and military personnel patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C., President Trump says the District is a “crime-free zone.” We discuss what’s really going on in the city, as well as the pressures on the majority Democratic city’s D ... Show More
20m 43s
Aug 2025
Sources & Methods: Trump's DC takeover, Ukraine, fired spy chief
Today, we're excited to share an episode from NPR's newest podcast, Sources & Methods. Each Thursday, host Mary Louise Kelly breaks down the week's biggest national security news with NPR's team of reporters covering the military, State Department, and spy agencies. NPR correspon ... Show More
33m 18s
Sep 2025
Trump's "tough on crime" spree
President Donald Trump thinks he solved crime in the nation's capital. Let’s take a look at the data (which he says is dubious). This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir, and host ... Show More
25m 48s
Oct 2025
Trump's War on Blue America
Donald Trump orders National Guard troops to Chicago and Portland, making good on his promise to generals to use American cities as "training grounds." Jon, Tommy, and Lovett discuss the court order—issued by a Trump-appointed judge—that blocked the deployment in Portland, the mi ... Show More
1h 26m