Donald Trump has hit the headlines this week for demanding the homeless leave DC and also moving the Barack Obama portrait at the White House.
A controversial new directive from President Donald Trump has set Washington, DC, on edge.
Previous executive order and policy background profiled.
This follows his July executive order, “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” which promised centers to house homeless people.
The order pledged treatment for homeless individuals struggling with addiction or mental health, but critics saw it as punitive.
Jesse Rabinowitz of the National Homelessness Law Center called the policy “one of the most harmful things to happen to folks who live outside in decades.”
She warned the order paves the way to forcibly round up homeless people, many with mental health issues, into detention camps.
Trump’s history with homelessness in DC highlighted.
Trump’s hardline stance on homelessness isn’t new; it dates back to his first presidential term.
In 2019, he publicly suggested reopening shuttered insane asylums to house dangerous individuals living on the streets.
The proposal drew fierce criticism from mental health advocates calling it “outdated and cruel.”
Though his current executive order doesn’t name these institutions, it references “institutional treatment” and “assisted outpatient treatment.”
This vague language raises fears of forced hospitalization without safeguards.
Trump’s bold announcement unveiled.
On August 10, Trump took to Truth Social to announce a major White House news conference scheduled for the next day.
He declared, “I’m going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before,” ordering homeless people to move out “IMMEDIATELY.”
“We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital,” Trump added, without naming locations.
He issued a stern warning: “There will be no ‘MR. NICE GUY.’ We want our Capital BACK.”
Distinguishing criminals from homeless individuals, Trump said, “The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong.”
The president likened the speed of this plan to recent border enforcement actions, promising it would happen “very fast.”
Public reaction to Trump’s order clarified.
Trump’s budget cuts to social programs have compounded homelessness challenges, fueling criticism.
Social media users slammed Trump’s order as inhumane and cruel.
One commenter accused the president of demanding homeless people “move out” with “no support” or options.
Another mocked the directive, telling homeless people to stay away from Trump’s “shiny golden office.”
The backlash underscores national divisions on how homelessness should be addressed.
Many view the order as an attempt to “cleanse” visible poverty from the capital.
Next steps debated.
The homelessness issue remains a heated topic across the U.S., with Trump’s new order intensifying debate.
The White House has not specified where displaced homeless individuals will be relocated.
Advocates warn moving homeless people merely shifts the problem rather than solves it.
Some conservative voices praise Trump’s tough approach as a necessary move for law and order.
The president’s rhetoric echoes past “law and order” campaigns emphasizing public safety.
Homeless face uncertain, dangerous future.
The August 11 White House press conference offered few specifics but made the hardline message clear.
Homeless people were given an ultimatum: leave DC or face consequences.
This represents an escalation in Trump’s crackdown on homelessness framed as fighting disorder.
The immediate future looks grim for the homeless, facing displacement and uncertain shelter options.
Trump’s directive is expected to trigger protests and legal challenges as public backlash grows.
And that’s not the only move of Trump’s to make the headlines.
The President removed the Barack Obama portrait from the White House entryway to the house’s Grand Staircase so it’s out of sight to the many visitors that visit.
The decision has caused outrage on social media.
“Just when you think he couldn’t disrespect more he goes and tops himself again,” one person tweeted.