Emergency Powers Unleashed
On August 11, Trump declared a “public security emergency” and invoked the Insurrection Act, sending the National Guard troops on the streets of Washington D.C. and putting its Metropolitan Police under federal control. Oddly enough, despite data showing Washington’s crime rate has been sliding, Trump insisted it’s “completely out of control” and even tapped DEA chief Terry Cole as interim federal police commissioner—a clear sign he’s flexing federal muscle over local law enforcement.
President Donald Trump holds up a chart in front of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as he speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Scandal Diversion Claims
Democrats wasted no time calling foul, arguing this is less about safety and more about shifting attention from the Epstein revelations, his tariff spats, and stalled tax legislation. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took to X to label it a “political strategy,” quipping that if Trump truly cared about D.C., he’d battle for the $1 billion Congress has held up. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi reminded everyone that Trump famously dragged his feet on deploying the Guard during the January 6 riot—now, she says, he’s redeploying them to gloss over his mishandling of healthcare, education, immigration and more.
Military Meets Policing
This move puts the military squarely in the political spotlight. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, himself a Guardsman alumnus, wouldn’t say how long troops will stick around and admitted the Pentagon is lining up “specialized units” from other states just in case reinforcements are needed.
The New York Times quotes insiders calling the armed forces Trump’s “go-to institution,” and Duke professor Peter Feaver warns it’ll look partisan from day one—after all, soldiers aren’t trained for civilian street patrols. A Defense Department official insists they’re tightening rules of engagement to keep M-16s and combat gear off routine shifts, but former Army War College director Carrie Lee sees this as the administration treating the military as a cure-all for its domestic headaches.
Homeless Crackdown Critique
It’s not just crime that’s under the gun—so are Washington’s unhoused. According to the Washington Post, federal agents have been ordering homeless encampments to clear out with no relocation plan in place, leaving many with nowhere to go.
Multiple law enforcement agencies operating at the same time. AP photo
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) publishes on social media photos of FBI teams patrolling nightlife districts under new curfews, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents checking rough-sleeping spots, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers showing off seized weapons and narcotics.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. AP photo
At the end of the day, whether this is a gutsy law-and-order gambit or a high-stakes distraction act, one thing’s clear: the lines between politics, policing and the military have never looked blurrier in the nation’s capital.
Deep Throat
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Trump just rolled out another tariff threat, and this time Iran's trading partners are in his crosshairs. On January 12, the US president announced a blanket 25% tariff on any country "doing business" with Tehran.
The international press immediately fixated on China—Iran's biggest trade partner. Reuters warned this could reignite the US–China trade war and shred the fragile truce both sides hammered out last year. But Chinese scholars aren't buying it. They say Trump lacks the nerve to slap Beijing with new tariffs, because China will hit back hard—and make him regret it.
Anti-government protests erupt in Iran. (AP photo)
The Financial Times reported on January 12 that these tariffs—which took effect immediately—could slam China, India, Turkey, Pakistan, the UAE, Brazil, and Iraq. All of them trade heavily with Iran. Russia sealed a new free trade deal with Iran in 2025, making it another potential target.
CNN pointed out the stakes for Beijing. China trades with both Iran and the US, so if Washington applies these tariffs, Chinese goods entering America could see costs spike. The network recalled that after last year's summit in Busan, South Korea, the Chinese and US presidents agreed to pause portions of their tariff war—a temporary truce.
Iran as Flashpoint, Again
Reuters published a piece on January 13 titled "Trump's Iran Tariff Threat Risks Reopening China Rift." The article traced how Iran became a powder keg in US–China relations during Trump's first term (2017–2021).
Back then, Washington tightened sanctions on Tehran and blacklisted Huawei, accusing the Chinese telecom giant of selling tech to Iran. That led to the arrest of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei's daughter, Meng Wanzhou, in Canada—triggering a diplomatic crisis and sending bilateral tensions through the roof.
Now Trump's targeting Iran again. If he follows through, total US tariffs on Chinese exports could exceed 70%—way higher than the rates both sides agreed to last October when they dialed down their trade fight.
It's still unclear which countries or entities Trump will actually target. He hasn't named China explicitly. But Reuters noted Trump has a track record of making bombastic statements that could upend US foreign policy—only to back off later.
US–China "truce" forged in Busan last year now at risk if Trump's Iran tariffs target Beijing. (AP file photo)
Beijing Calls Trump's Bluff
Wu Xinbo, Dean of Fudan University's School of International Relations, told Reuters that China sees through Trump's posturing. "China will call (Trump's) bluff. I can assure you that Trump has no guts to impose the extra 25% tariffs on China, and if he does, China will retaliate and he will be punished," said Wu.
Another Chinese scholar pushed back on the narrative that China and Iran are economically intertwined, noting that "China and Iran are not as close as in the public imagination".
China Customs data backs that up. Beijing has dramatically reduced imports from Iran in recent years. Through November last year, China imported just 2.9 billion USD worth of Iranian goods—a far cry from the 21 billion USD peak in 2018, during Trump's first presidency.
Some sources claim China's major oil companies stopped doing business with Iran in 2022. Yet China's purchases from Tehran still run into the billions, thanks to independent refiners handling shipments.
China as Convenient Scapegoat
Wang Jin, a researcher at Beijing's Dialogue Think Tank, told reporters that "China is just an excuse, a kind of disguise for the Trump administration, to impose new pressure (on) Iran."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to Trump's tariff threat on January 13. She stated that China's position on tariffs is crystal clear: tariff wars produce no winners. Beijing will firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests.
Analysts warn that Trump's renewed attempt to cut Iran off from global trade could heighten worries about the Belt and Road Initiative. Iran serves as a strategic hub for Chinese goods heading to the Middle East.
This tariff gambit has cast doubt on Trump's planned April visit to China. Observers had expected him to seal a comprehensive trade deal with Beijing during that trip.
The Wall Street Journal echoed Reuters' concerns, warning that new tariffs on Iran's trading partners could wreck the US–China trade truce.
But Reuters also cited Xu Tianchen, a senior analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, who questioned whether Trump's tariff policy is even enforceable. "Last year he announced tariffs related to 'illicit' Russian oil trade, but their implementation was patchy." Xu said.
He went on stating that "Trump is also the kind of person who likes bullying the weak," Xu said. "He should manage his actions to avoid these tariffs escalating into direct confrontation with China".
