White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller on Wednesday railed against what he called “stupid white hippies” who were protesting the federal crackdown on crime in the nation’s capital and argued they did not represent the citizens of Washington, D.C.
Miller, Vice President Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Union Station on Wednesday to meet with National Guard troops who have been stationed outside for days in a show of force near the transportation hub.
“We are not going to let the communists destroy a great American city, let alone the nation’s capital,” Miller told the crowd near Shake Shack inside Union Station. “And let’s just also address another thing. All these demonstrators you’ve seen out here in recent days, all these elderly white hippies, they’re not part of the city and never have been. And by the way, most of the citizens who live in Washington, D.C., are Black.”
“So we’re going to ignore these stupid white hippies that all need to go home and take a nap because they’re all over 90 years old,” he added. “And we’re going to get back to the business of protecting the American people and the citizens of Washington, D.C.”
Washington, D.C. has historically been a majority African American locale; locals give it the affectionate nickname “Chocolate City.” But over the last two decades, the city’s demographics have shifted, and Black residents are no longer more than 50 percent of the population.
The Trump administration earlier this month began surging federal law enforcement across parts of the District to crack down on what the White House said was an unacceptable level of crime, despite statistics showing violent crime has declined in the city.
Last week, Trump took federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department and deployed hundreds of National Guard troops across the city to further the crack down on crime.
The White House has said officers across the District have made more than 550 arrests since the surge in federal resources began Aug. 7. But local residents have largely expressed disapproval with the aggressive moves from the federal government.
A Washington Post-Schar School poll of 604 D.C. residents published Wednesday found 65 percent do not think Trump’s actions will make the city safer. Roughly 80 percent of residents said they opposed Trump’s executive order to federalize the city’s police department.
Miller spoke after videos circulated online of large crowds in the Columbia Heights neighborhood jeering federal officers in the streets. The crowds cheered as the officers walked to their trucks and cars and department.
The Trump administration has welcomed a debate over crime, immigration and policing, seeing it as ground on which it can win over voters.
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