Hillary Clinton branded ‘big-time loser’ in fiery clash over Trump’s DC policing takeover
Hillary Clinton has come under sharp attack after leading the Democrats’ pushback against Donald Trump’s shock move to place Washington, D.C., policing under federal control.
The former U.S. Secretary of State, and 2016 presidential election rival whom Trump famously defeated, was ridiculed as a “big-time loser” by critics.
Her intervention came hours after Trump, in a combative White House press conference on Monday, declared that the federal government would seize control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police and flood the capital’s streets with National Guard troops.
Trump claimed the measures were necessary to “rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse.”
Clinton wasted no time in condemning the plan, while other top Democrats voiced outrage. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was blunt: “Violent crime in Washington, D.C. is at a thirty-year low.
Donald Trump has no basis to take over the local police department. And zero credibility on the issue of law and order. Get lost.”
Republican commentator Clay Travis fired back, saying: “Democrats are lining up to oppose crime being lower in DC. It’s bonkers.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also accused Trump of hypocrisy. “For all the talk Republicans give about giving their localities their rights, where are they now?” he asked, suggesting the move was more about political distraction than genuine concern.
The escalation comes as Washington reeled from a fatal shooting on Monday night. The Metropolitan Police cordoned off the scene just hours after Trump’s announcement.
In New York, mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani launched what he dubbed an “anti-Trump tour,” warning that he would “fight back” if the former president ever attempted a similar takeover in his city.
“He requires a response that showcases the ability to fight back against that same agenda,” Mamdani told CBS News.
Trump, flanked by senior officials including Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, promised an aggressive crackdown on offenders. “You spit and we hit and we can hit real hard,” he warned.
His plans also target homeless encampments in public areas, a move critics have branded heavy-handed. Federal officers began deploying over the weekend, creating a visible show of force in the capital.
“Our Capital City has been overtaken by violent gangs, bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people, and we’re not going to let it happen anymore,” Trump said.
The president also referenced a string of recent violent incidents, including the killing of a congressional intern and a carjacking involving a Democratic lawmaker.
In one particularly disturbing case, a 19-year-old former government worker was beaten during an attempted carjacking near a busy nightlife district.
Trump insists such crimes justify the federal intervention, but D.C.’s Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser disputes his narrative, citing police figures that show a 26% drop in violent crime this year and the lowest homicide rate in three decades.
“Any comparison to a war-torn country is hyperbolic and false,” she told MSNBC.
Despite Trump’s threats to “FEDERALIZE this City,” legal experts point out he lacks the power to act alone. Congress would need to repeal the 1973 Home Rule Act, a move likely to face fierce opposition from Democrats and D.C. residents alike.
Still, Republican lawmakers have already proposed the “BOWSER Act,” which would dismantle D.C.’s self-governance one year after its passage. Whether it succeeds remains uncertain, but the political storm around Hillary Clinton’s latest clash with Trump is already in full swing.
