Fear, confusion, resistance: One night under Trump's D.C. crackdown
Post Reports
The Washington Post
4.4 • 5.1K Ratings
🗓️ 19 August 2025
⏱️ 30 minutes
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Summary
A team of “Post Reports” producers join Post reporter Olivia George for a Friday night out on U Street NW, a major hub for nightlight in the nation’s capital and an area that has experienced one of the highest number of crimes reported this year. They speak with businesses, partygoers and workers to hear their experience during the first weekend since President Donald Trump’s takeover of D.C.’s law enforcement. The changes in the nation’s capital are palpable.
Trump announced the police takeover last week. He also sent in 800 National Guard troops with at least six Republican-led states agreeing to send hundreds of additional Guard troops. As more federal law enforcement and immigration officers take to the streets, setting up check points, arresting and detaining people, tensions have been growing in the city.
Trump has described his federal intervention in D.C. as a crusade against crime. In its first week, the main targets have increasingly been immigrants and those experiencing homelessness. Videos of local detainments have reverberated through group chats and social media.
Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon, Reena Flores, Sabby Robinson, Sean Carter and Thomas Lu with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Reena Flores and Renita Jablonski and mixed by Sean Carter. Special thanks to Craig Hudson, John Ramsey, Kaitlyn Dolan, Katie Mettler and Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Stop requested. |
| 0:07.5 | Look at this phone. |
| 0:09.6 | Sorry, are you open to U Street? |
| 0:11.7 | Yeah. |
| 0:14.0 | That's Post reports producer Alana Gordon. |
| 0:17.1 | She was riding a city bus in Washington, D.C. on Friday night, and she was making her way to U Street, a popular nightlife corridor of the city. |
| 0:27.1 | Sitting across from her was Zaid Khalil and two friends. |
| 0:30.8 | It was around midnight, but their night was just getting started. |
| 0:34.3 | We're young, we're all young and hot. |
| 0:36.3 | How old are you? |
| 0:37.3 | I'm 23. |
| 0:38.3 | 24. |
| 0:39.3 | 24. |
| 0:41.3 | They were ready to dance. |
| 0:43.3 | Zade had on a crop top, cargo shorts, and cowboy boots. |
| 0:47.3 | That's just what I'm wearing, but my girls are also serving looks, my girlies, back there. Yes that is on the record that is on the record um |
| 1:00.5 | i've been living in dc for on and off for like six years now and tonight i'm with my girls |
| 1:07.0 | and we're just going to go out and have some good time. |
| 1:17.1 | Like, I'm not going to lie, like, we are somewhat intimidated by, like, the changes that have been happening and, like, things that felt a little bit strange with the whole, like, D.C. National |
| 1:22.1 | Guard. |
| 1:26.1 | Over the last week, Zaid and other D.C. residents have seen or experienced escalating tensions here in the nation's capital. |
| 1:35.3 | Last Monday, President Donald Trump announced he'd be taking over D.C.'s police force and sending hundreds of National Guard troops into the city. |
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