❓WHAT HAPPENED: MSNBC analyst Ashley Parker criticized the deployment of National Guard troops to restore order in Washington, D.C. calling it an “occupation” and suggesting they served no purpose—despite complaining of repeated robberies just months prior.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ashley Parker, co-author Nancy A. Youssef, President Donald J. Trump, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, the National Guard, federal law enforcement agencies, and D.C. residents.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The Atlantic article was published on August 29, while Parker’s viral social media post dates back to June.
💬KEY QUOTE: “After another bike was stolen last night, my husband and I realized our life as D.C. homeowners by the numbers includes: 1 stolen car; 2 stolen scooters/Vespas; 3 stolen bikes; a partridge in a pear tree; etc.” – Ashley Parker
🎯IMPACT: Parker’s criticism of the National Guard deployment contrasts with her own acknowledgment of D.C.’s crime crisis, highlighting partisan hypocrisy in the corporate media.
MSNBC analyst Ashley Parker is facing criticism for calling President Donald J. Trump’s National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C., an “occupation” and suggesting the troops serve no real purpose, despite previously lamenting repeated crimes against her family in the American capital. In a recent Atlantic article co-authored with Nancy A. Youssef, Parker argued the Guard’s presence had “chilled life in the city” and mocked the deployment as “sitcom-esque.”
“To some—especially undocumented immigrants [sic]—the Guard presence is disconcerting at best, terrifying at worst,” she wrote, while dismissing President Trump’s federal crime crackdown as a “farcical” effort. However, social media users quickly pointed out Parker’s own admitted frustrations with D.C. crime. In a post from June, she wrote: “After another bike was stolen last night, my husband and I realized our life as DC homeowners by the numbers includes: 1 stolen car; 2 stolen scooters/Vespas; 3 stolen bikes; a partridge in a pear tree; etc.,” painting a clear picture of ongoing theft and rising public safety concerns in the nation’s capital.
Despite her claims, Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and federal law enforcement has clearly curtailed crime in D.C., with even Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, acknowledging, “We know that when carjackings go down, when the use of guns goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer,” specifically noting an “87 percent reduction in carjackings” since Trump’s takeover.
President Trump has invoked Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act to place the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal authority and mobilized hundreds of National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officers throughout the city. The operation has cut violent crime dropped nearly 50 percent compared to the same time last year.
Over 1,000 arrests have been made, including members of dangerous gangs such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua. Dozens of homeless encampments have also been dismantled.
Trump also signed an executive order ending cashless bail in D.C. and directed federal prosecutors to pursue the death penalty in homicide cases. “If somebody kills somebody in the capital—Washington, D.C.—we’re going to be seeking the death penalty,” Trump said, calling it a “very strong preventative.”
A recent poll showed the majority of voters support Trump’s crime crackdown, viewing it as both “justified” and “necessary.”
Once a vibrant hub of history and culture, Washington D.C. experienced a rapid decline, overshadowing its monuments and museums. Now, that’s all changed. #DCDecline #UrbanDecay pic.twitter.com/PYkKIVKoW8
— Raheem J. Kassam (@RaheemKassam) September 1, 2025
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