After a couple of news cycles, it is clear that the legacy media’s Current Thing to be outraged over is the federalization of Washington D.C.’s Metro Police Department. In support of this narrative, they insist on omitting the fact that those crime data are very likely to be cooked.
Per NBC4:
The Metropolitan Police Department confirmed Michael Pulliam was placed on paid administrative leave in mid-May. That happened just a week after Pulliam filed an equal employment opportunity complaint against an assistant chief and the police union accused the department of deliberately falsifying crime data, according to three law enforcement sources familiar with the complaint.
The union claims police supervisors in the department manipulate crime data to make it appear violent crime has fallen considerably compared to last year.
The report goes on to note that it is not uncommon for captains and lieutenants to roll up on crime scenes and browbeat responding officers into writing up reduced offenses. One would reasonably expect, then, that the legacy nightlies would make note of this during their reports. Alas, this was not the case.
The weirdest of these across the dial was on the Trump-deranged CBS Evening News. Watch as anchor Maurica DuBois recites the cooked data, and correspondent Scott MacFarlane suggests something sinister is afoot:
MAURICE DuBOIS: The police department in Washington says violent crime in the city this year is down 26%. Homicide alone, down 11%. And robberies down 28%.
JOHN DICKERSON: One number that is rising is the crime-fighting force, with the president sending in federal agents to help the police, and today, 800 National Guard troops started taking up positions.
DuBOIS: Despite the falling crime rate in the city of 700,000 people, the president has declared a crime emergency and taken charge of the D.C. Police. Justice correspondent Scott Macfarlane is in Washington. So Scott, how was day one with the new sheriff in town?
SCOTT MacFARLANE: Hey, Maurice. The first ever takeover of its kind began with 23 arrests and the investigation of another murder. Under law it can only last 30 days, but the concern is, how does this initiative end?
National Guard troops arrived at the armory in southeast Washington, D.C., today 4 miles from The White House. They will join nearly 900 federal agents and officers that have taken post on neighborhood streets, hoping local police, who are now under the authority of the Trump administration. In D.C. 's Anacostia neighborhood, Ron Moten says crime has long played his community but says he and others are skeptical this is a good idea.
RON MOTEN: They are tired of the violence, get it. But my only caution is, one thing can lead to the next thing. You can take the police department today and we wake up and they take over our city --
MacFARLANE: They might not give it back.
MOTEN: They might not give it back.
What does that even mean? MacFarlane just cooked up an entire conspiracy theory about D.C. and didn’t even bat an eye. “They won’t give it back” will resurface at some point- count on it.
ABC World News Tonight had a brief report, coming in at about a minute and a half. There was no overwrought anchor introduction, and Mary Bruce mostly stuck to the facts of the report as opposed to narrative. However, she still recycled the cooked data:
BRUCE: The president claims crime in the city is spiraling out of control, but the mayor points to official crime stats. Violent crime, down 26% since last year. Now at a 30-year low.
It should be noted that Gabe Gutiérrez’ report for NBC Nightly News last night made reference to the crime data scandal:
GABE GUTIERREZ: The head of the police union tells NBC News the crime stats have been manipulated. And any talk of a recent drop in crime is “preposterous.” Still, the D.C. City Council calls the federal police takeover “a manufactured intrusion on local authority” and the mayor says it caught her off-guard.
But that acknowledgement lasted only one night. Tonight, anchor Tom Llamas made sure to revert to narrative in the story’s introduction:
TOM LLAMAS: We do want to head to Washington now. The city's police under federal control. And the National Guard has been activated. It’s all part of President Trump's effort to combat violent crime in the city despite some stats showing it was already declining. Here’s Courtney Kube.
Courtney Kube would then focus her report on aspects of the National Guard deployment. The cooked data came back into the forefront with zero pushback from the media.
File this and keep it handy for the next time people in the media want to whine about the “spread of disinformation.” I’m sure it’ll be (D)ifferent then.
Click “expand” to view transcripts of the aforementioned reports as aired on their respective evening newscasts on Tuesday, August 12th, 2025:
CBS EVENING NEWS
8/12/25
6:30 PM
MAURICE DuBOIS: The police department in Washington says violent crime in the city this year is down 26%. Homicide alone, down 11%. And robberies down 28%.
JOHN DICKERSON: One number that is rising is the crime-fighting force, with the president sending in federal agents to help the police, and today, 800 National Guard troops started taking up positions.
DuBOIS: Despite the falling crime rate in the city of 700,000 people, the president has declared a crime emergency and taken charge of the D.C. Police. Justice correspondent Scott Macfarlane is in Washington. So Scott, how was day one with the new sheriff in town?
SCOTT MacFARLANE: Hey, Maurice. The first ever takeover of its kind began with 23 arrests and the investigation of another murder. Under law it can only last 30 days, but the concern is, how does this initiative end?
National Guard troops arrived at the armory in southeast Washington, D.C., today 4 miles from The White House. They will join nearly 900 federal agents and officers that have taken post on neighborhood streets, hoping local police, who are now under the authority of the Trump administration. In D.C. 's Anacostia neighborhood, Ron Moten says crime has long played his community but says he and others are skeptical this is a good idea.
RON MOTEN: They are tired of the violence, get it. But my only caution is, one thing can lead to the next thing. You can take the police department today and we wake up and they take over our city --
MacFARLANE: They might not give it back.
MOTEN: They might not give it back.
MacFARLANE: Top Justice Department officials met with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser while The White House defended the 30 day takeover.
KAROLINE LEAVITT We are removing as many criminals from the streets and we are cleaning up D.C. As much as we can and working with the Metropolitan Police Department to do that.
MacFARLANE: Darrol Gaston has seen the violence up close.
Those are bullet holes up there?
DARROL GASTON: Yeah, bullet holes. This whole window had to be replaced right here.
MacFARLANE: A recent car chase and shooting damaged the outside of Gaston's restaurant. He welcomes an increased law enforcement presence but says the community wants a longer-term plan to curb crime.
GASTON: We can always use more- more police, right? But I think having police officers that are from the community and that are trained locally is much different than having a federal police that’s not trained in community policing.
MacFARLANE: Gaston also worries President Trump's words...
DONALD TRUMP: We’re getting rid of the slums, too. There are slums here. We’re getting rid of them.
MacFARLANE: …feed a stereotype about D.C.
GASTON: D.C. in 2025 is way different and safer than the D.C. that I grew up in.
DICKERSON: Scott, what exactly, though, is the mission for the National Guard and troops that are on the streets?
MacFARLANE: In this unique circumstance, the National Guard has law enforcement power. But John, the Pentagon is indicating they will not be making arrests or even carrying guns on the street. They will be helping police, holding people for later arrest or doing logistical work.
DuBOIS: And Scott, the president is considering a rapid response force for other cities. How would that work?
MacFARLANE: There is a report in Washington that there was under consideration a quick response force, two of them in the country, to quell civil unrest elsewhere in the nation. The Pentagon is pushing back on that, calling it predecisional, saying they’re not going to comment, Maurice, on leaked documents.
DuBOIS: OK. Scott MacFarlane in D.C. tonight. Thank you.
ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
8/12/25
6:42 PM
DAVID MUIR: Now, to President Trump's federal takeover of the police in the nation's capital. The first of 800 National Guard troops now arriving today, and here's Mary Bruce.
MARY BRUCE: Tonight, the first of 800 National Guard troops arriving in D.C., as President Trump's unprecedented move to take over law enforcement in the nation's capital is now under way. The White House surging 850 federal agents and officers across the city overnight. Making 23 arrests. Attorney General Pam Bondi, now in charge of D.C. Metropolitan Police, meeting today with Mayor Muriel Bowser.
MURIEL BOWSER: What I'm focused on is the federal surge and how to make the most of the additional officer support that we have.
BRUCE: The president vowing to clean up the capital, and get homeless people off the streets.
KAROLINE LEAVITT: Homeless individuals will be given the option to leave their encampment, to be taken to a homeless shelter, to be offered addiction or mental health services, and if they refuse, they will be susceptible to fines or to jail time.
BRUCE: The president claims crime in the city is spiraling out of control, but the mayor points to official crime stats. Violent crime, down 26% since last year. Now at a 30-year low. As of now, we're told that the National Guard has still not been given a specific mission yet. The expectation, though, is they won't begin their role in earnest until Monday, and it's still not clear how long the guard will be here in D.C. David.
MUIR: Mary Bruce also live at The White House tonight. Mary, thank you.
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS
8/12/25
6:41 PM
TOM LLAMAS: We do want to head to Washington now. The city's police under federal control. And the National Guard has been activated. It’s all part of President Trump's effort to combat violent crime in the city despite some stats showing it was already declining. Here’s Courtney Kube.
COURTNEY KUBE: Tonight, hundreds of National Guard troops reporting for duty awaiting deployment around the nation's capital. Acting on President Trump's orders after he declared a crime emergency, activating 800 guard members and instituting a 30- day federal takeover of D.C. Police, despite police statistics that show violent crime is declining here. We have been watching members of the D.C. National Guard trickle in one by one all day here at the D.C. Armory. Soon, as many as 200 at any time will be in neighborhoods like this, where a defense official tells NBC News they will be supporting law enforcement with activities like crowd management, perimeter control, and other security assistance. Most Guard members won't be armed and won't be making arrests according to the defense official. Instead, their support is intended to free up law enforcement to fight crime. The White House says its push is already well underway.
KAROLINE LEAVITT: Last night, approximately 850 officers and agents were surged across the city. They made a total of 23 arrests.
KUBE: Those arrests include homicide and drug distribution according to The White House, which also says homeless people could be jailed if they don't comply with efforts to clear encampments. Some Democrats slamming the move as presidential overreach.
CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: This is about the president playing king. Trying to be the authoritarian leader, the dictator.
KUBE: But after meeting with Attorney General Pam Bondi today, the city's Democratic mayor striking a cooperative tone.
MURIEL BOWSER: If and while we have this federal surge, we are going to put those officers to good use.
KUBE: D.C. residents we spoke to today had mixed reactions.
RESIDENT: Unnecessary and frightening. There is crime in any city. And this is not solving the crime problem.
RESIDENT: I don't see the need for it. At the same time, if it makes the streets safer, so be it.
LLAMAS: And with that, Courtney joins us live. Courtney, what exactly is the National Guard going to do right now?
KUBE: Well Tom, the 800 troops have been activated, but they are still checking in, getting their orders. A small number are starting to move out to various locations around the city, but the reality is this entire process of getting them on the streets will take until the end of the week. Tom.
LLAMAS: All right. Courtney Kube with a lot of reporting there. Courtney, we thank you.
