Sen. Van Hollen says an armed National Guard in DC would be 'troubling'
Source: ABC News
August 17, 2025, 11:27 AM
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., on Sunday underlined his stance that President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard to Washington, D.C., over concerns of high crime and the level of homelessness amounts to an "abuse of power."
"All of this is a total abuse of power. It’s a manufactured emergency," Van Hollen said in an interview with "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz. "Obviously D.C. can do more to reduce violent crime, as we can across the country. But as you pointed out, crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low and a downward trajectory. So, this is all an opportunity for Donald Trump to play dictator in Washington, D.C."
"The way the law is written, it appears he has the legal authority. And Mayor [Muriel] Bowser conceded that. So, what is the abuse of power here?" Raddatz pressed.
"The abuse of power is claiming that this is an emergency. And everybody who is watching what happens knows that this is not an emergency in Washington, D.C.," Van Hollen argued.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/sen-van-hollen-armed-national-guard-dc-troubling/story?id=124720904
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