Trump will ignore crime reduction data for the political value of a show of force

There’s a downward trend in violence in Washington DC in line with those in other cities – but that may not matter

“They fought back against law enforcement last night, and they’re not going to be fighting back long,” Donald Trump said of young people on a “rampage through city streets” at his press conference this morning. “See, they fight back until you knock the hell out of them, because it’s the only language they understand.”

Lay this comment against a series of executive orders about law enforcement and civil rights that the president has issued over the last seven months, and one consequence of the federalization of police in Washington DC becomes evident: Trump will ignore measured effectiveness in reducing crime for the political value of a show of force.