One aspect of the Trump administration's takeover of the DC police is a renewed focus on clearing out homeless camps that have taken over numerous parks in the city. The New York Post reports today that 75 camps have been removed this week.
Federal officials have cleared about 75 homeless camps around the nation’s capital under President Trump’s effort to clean up Washington, DC — and they’re not done yet.
United States Park Police have removed dozens of tents since the president penned the “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful” executive order in March, the Department of the Interior told The Post Friday...
“President Trump signed the order to Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful in March, and our dedicated U.S. Park Police have been working around the clock since to enforce this directive, clean up our streets, and ensure our nation’s capital is safe,” Interior deputy press secretary Aubrie Spady revealed.
Naturally, the tone at the NY Times is somewhat different. Apparently removing people who camp illegally in a federal park is an outrage. That's true even though one of the homeless people says he is a Trump voter (and would vote for him again).
At Washington Circle, near the George Washington University Hospital, Meghann Abraham, who has lived in a tent there for months, said officers took away her shelter. The night before, she had fended off a similar effort by federal agents by showing them a notice from the city giving her until Monday to leave.
This time, the officers scoffed at the notice, she said.
Nearby, David Barnes returned to find his tent, which was also in the park space at Washington Circle, gone. He said officers had thrown his belongings in the trash, again.
“Trump and his presidency has taken away two — not one, two — of my tents,” Mr. Barnes said.
Still, he added, he voted for Mr. Trump before and would do so again, because of the president’s desire to keep Washington clean and beautiful.
If I were part of the Trump administration, I'd hire David Barnes immediately and make him part of the public effort to clean up the city. I hope someone at the White House has the same idea.
Here are some video of the cleanups taking place.
Homeless camps are being torn down in DC
— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) August 15, 2025
Did you vote for this? 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GagSzYoKlg
Another one near the Kennedy Center:
City crews have cleared a homeless encampment between the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Memorial amid the White House cracking down on homelessness.
— DMV News Live (@DCNewsLive) August 14, 2025
Individuals were given a 24-hour notice that they are to move out by this morning. Shelter & storage options have been provided. #DC pic.twitter.com/UDGMtp0NPJ
Remember Trump riding in the dump truck? This is reminding me of that.
US News exclusive photos
— Steven the Optimist (@SOWEN1966) August 15, 2025
75 homeless camps in DC cleared by US Park Police since Trump’s ‘Safe and Beautiful’ executive order
By Diana Nerozzi and David Propper
Published Aug. 15, 2025, 5:50 p.m. ET @nypost pic.twitter.com/UrhB2WihTu
The Washington Post has interviews with the homeless living in some of these camps. They don't like the rich guy pushing poor folks like them around.
Federal agents in Washington, D.C. are entering camp sites and asking residents if they have drugs or weapons, three people experiencing homelessness tell The Post. https://t.co/tYYpRcD7tb pic.twitter.com/5efYZpj1hI
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 14, 2025
I'll tell you want I honestly think. That woman with the greenish-yellow hair could probably get a job and not be living in a park. I don't know her story but for many of these people, around the country, they wind up living in a tent because at some point they made drugs or alcohol their preferred solution to their problems. And that compounds whatever mental health problems they had to start with.
So, yes, at least some of them want to be on the street where drugs are easier to get. That's not true for all of them but it is true of many of the people living outdoors long term. As for the underlying issues she's talking about, there are many homeless camps where people are given a chance at detox services and help getting clean and they routinely turn it down. This isn't a rare circumstance on the west coast. It's quite common. So, again, some people do choose this life and that's precisely why the camps remain in place, because offers of help get spurned over and over by people who prefer being on the street. There are alternatives for people who are willing to accept them.
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