Trump’s crime crackdown framed as blueprint for Democrats, column asserts

An op-ed published by Fox News argues that Donald Trump’s crime crackdown provides a blueprint for Democratic leaders to follow. The author frames a deadly stabbing on Charlotte’s light-rail system as evidence of a broader pattern, noting that 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska was killed last month and that the suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., had 14 prior arrests. The piece contends that Brown moved freely because Democrats control law enforcement across Charlotte at multiple levels.

According to the column, the author—Sean Duffy, described in notes as the 20th U.S. Secretary of Transportation—launched an investigation into the Charlotte transportation authorities’ safety and security plans. The piece broadens the critique to suggest that federal dollars come with safety conditions for cities seeking funding, citing Boston and Chicago as examples where such leverage could apply.

The op-ed recounts a recent federal surge in Washington, D.C., where the Trump administration deployed federal agents from the FBI, DEA and U.S. Marshals, and, at times, the National Guard, to restore public safety. The author says crime fell within weeks, encampments were cleared and even the city’s Democratic mayor acknowledged the federal presence helped. The piece characterizes that effort as proof that crime and urban decay are policy choices rather than inescapable conditions.

Across the country, the column contends, left-leaning policies that critics say deprioritize victims — defunding police, lax prosecutions and tolerance for open-air drug markets — have contributed to volatile urban environments. It asserts that the approach helped Trump gain support among minority voters and cites polling trends referenced by the piece.

The notes describe Maryland Gov. Wes Moore as an example of a Democrat who initially resisted federal assistance but later authorized additional state police deployments to Baltimore and welcomed FBI support while declining the National Guard, suggesting a shift that aligns with Trump’s approach.

Ending with a call to accountability, the column argues that governors and city leaders should adopt the Trump-era playbook to prioritize public safety, insisting that safe streets are the foundation of economic revival and infrastructure rebuilding. It frames crime as a policy choice and urges action rather than excuses.