Florida Congressman Brian Mast (R) appeared in an interview with FOX News’ “Faulkner Focus” criticizing Democrats' inaction on crime and pushback on mobilizing the National Guard to aid law enforcement in U.S. cities.
“They [Democrats] always make big promises. They don't do anything about it. Now you have a president who's saying, I'm taking this seriously. I'm going to go in there, use the resources of the people to protect the people, and I'm going to make a difference. And I'm not going to let up until that difference is made. They're on the losing side of it, but they just don't know when to stop digging their own holes.” Mast commented.
Democratic lawmakers have sharply criticized mobilizing the National Guard into cities like Los Angeles, Memphis, and Washington, D.C., warning that troops could harm regular citizens and that military vehicles in city streets intimidate the populace.
Rep. Mast, on the contrary, cites concerns regarding overall crime and how it is “not the responsibility of the government to think about the appearance instead of the results.”
“When the government says, well, we're worried about the appearance of how the security force is going to look here. We're worried about the appearance of an armed vehicle that protects the people who are inside it. That's when those who are really tasked with protection really have to worry about what's going on. It's not the responsibility of the government to think about the appearance instead of the results.” Mast concluded.
Despite strong Democratic condemnation, mobilizing the National Guard may have successfully aided in resolving the crime rates in major U.S. cities.
Just three weeks have passed since President Donald Trump mobilized the National Guard to Washington, D.C., and statistics show a downturn in crime in the capital.
According to a CBS News report, “reviewing every crime incident reported to the District of Columbia's Metropolitan Police Department from Aug. 7 through Aug. 25, also shows violent crime is down in comparison to the five-year average for the same dates. Beyond violent crime, reported burglaries also are down 48% and car thefts have fallen 36%.”
