The Trump administration is taking steps to revoke federal funding from metropolitan cities he says are becoming “anarchist jurisdictions.”
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a five-page memo ordering federal agencies to send information to the White House Office of Management and Budget that detail monies that can be redirected.
President Trump signed a memo today to restrict federal $ from going to "anarchist jurisdictions" – the memo cites Seattle, Portland, NYC & D.C.
Per the memo, below is how DOJ is supposed to determine what the "anarchist jurisdictions" are: pic.twitter.com/kJXVvehEMm
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) September 3, 2020
‘My Administration will do everything in its power to prevent weak mayors and lawless cities from taking Federal dollars while they let anarchists harm people, burn buildings, and ruin lives and businesses. We’re putting them on notice today,’ Trump said in a tweet.
The memo specifically deems New York, Portland, Washington, D.C, and Seattle as “lawless cities.” The memo also directs the Justice Department come up with a list of localities that qualify as “anarchist jurisdictions” and post that list publicly, as reported by The Washington Post.
“My Administration will not allow Federal tax dollars to fund cities that allow themselves to deteriorate into lawless zones,” Trump claims in the memo.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo didn’t take the news diplomatically.
The governor, calling the president a “tabloid cartoon,” and “maniacal” said he doesn’t believe anything will come of the order, brushing it off as no more than a political stunt and campaign tactic.
President Trump has actively sought to punish NYC since day one.
He let COVID ambush New York.
He refuses to provide funds that states and cities MUST receive to recover.
He is not a king. He cannot "defund" NYC.
It's an illegal stunt.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) September 2, 2020
“We’re talking about the worst president for New York City in history,” Cuomo said Wednesday evening. “Those who know him best, like him least. He thinks he’s a king. He’s not.”
It'd be in my lane to write an explainer about the legal context of Trump's memo on purportedly restricting funding to "anarchist" cities like New York, except the White House didn't even bother to try to cite a legal basis. It's just the usual get-a-one-day-headline vacuousness. pic.twitter.com/hxlYFNgRh7
— Charlie Savage (@charlie_savage) September 3, 2020
Trump threatens to withdraw federal funds, possibly including health, education and safety net dollars Americans need to get through the pandemic and economic crisis. Again, he targets cities – including ours – with democratic Mayors, which he calls “anarchist jurisdictions.”
— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) September 3, 2020
Trump seeks to cut all federal funds to NYC. Maybe we should stop sending our dollars to Washington. See how long that nonsense lasts.
— Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) September 2, 2020
