Champaign, IL. Democratic Challenger Dylan Blaha (IL-13) issued the following statement today on President Trump's decision to federalize the Washington D.C. police and deploy the National Guard.

I strongly condemn the decision to federalize the Washington D.C. police department and deploy National Guard troops to D.C., along with the false narratives pushed forward by this administration.

Our President has threatened a full federal takeover of our nation's capital, and now we are watching it play out. Homelessness is a policy failure, yet our government continues to villainize homeless Americans.

President Trump also spread a false narrative of increased violent crime in Washington, D.C. However, D.C.'s violent crime statistics dropped in recent years.

Last year, violent crime in our capital city hit its lowest level in more than 30 years, according to the U.S. Justice Department. So far this year, robberies have dropped by 28% and overall violent crime is down by 26%, as of August 11th.

What's happening in America right now isn't new. Similar situations of authoritarian leaders consolidating executive power occured around the world, in countries like Turkiye, Hungary, Brazil, and Singapore.

The far-right movement in America continues to corrupt the truth by demonizing the media, education, and our institutions themselves. We cannot let them control the narrative any longer.

We will continue to see our rights stripped away, unless we as Americans stand up for ourselves and our neighbors. If you stand with your fellow Americans, please join the fight. Attend local meetings and see how you can help others in your community.

This movement isn't about me, and it's not about any one person. This is about all of us working together to steer America towards a brighter future.