Congresswoman Gives Statement On Trump’s Crackdown In DC

In a political climate where contradictions rarely go unnoticed, Representative Angie Craig’s recent comments on President Trump’s crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., have reignited a conversation about public safety, consistency, and leadership under pressure.

Craig, who is currently running for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota, took to social media to condemn Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to D.C., calling the move “totally unjustified and a waste of taxpayer dollars.” But this sharp critique is drawing fresh scrutiny in light of her personal experience in the very city she now claims doesn’t need federal intervention.

In February 2023, Craig was violently attacked by a man in the elevator of her D.C. apartment building — a man who, by her own admission, had a long and violent history. The assailant, 26-year-old Kendrick Hamlin, had previously been arrested a dozen times for assault and other offenses, making Craig his thirteenth known victim.

She described him to police as acting erratically, possibly under the influence of drugs, before he struck her in the face and grabbed her by the neck. She managed to fight him off and escape with no serious injuries.

At the time, Craig called for justice. She demanded that Hamlin be held accountable and expressed outrage that he had cycled in and out of jail with barely a slap on the wrist. “I will do everything in my power to make sure there is not a 14, a 15, a 20,” she vowed.

Hamlin eventually received a 27-month prison sentence, but the episode left a deep mark on Craig — one she later described as a “pivotal moment” that shaped her decision to run for higher office.

Yet, despite that harrowing experience, Craig now stands firmly against Trump’s high-profile federal intervention in D.C., labeling it an overreach. She acknowledged the complexity of the issue in a recent interview, pointing out the systemic failures that contribute to homelessness and addiction, even while recognizing her attacker’s violent record. “All of those things can be true at the same time,” she said.

But critics say her position lacks coherence. The National Republican Senate Committee didn’t mince words, calling Craig’s stance “hypocritical and shameful.” Their argument is simple: if Craig believes D.C. failed to protect her, why oppose a plan aimed at making the city safer for others?

President Trump, undeterred by Democratic resistance, has made it clear he will pursue congressional approval to extend his federal law enforcement presence in the capital. “We think the Democrats will not do anything to stop crime,” he said, “but we think the Republicans will do it almost unanimously.”