Inside Houston’s quiet shift to police the homeless, crack down on public spaces

At a press conference announcing the federal takeover of the Washington D.C. police department, President Donald Trump shared an anecdote he said had taken place days prior.

“A former member of the DOGE staff was savagely beaten by a band of roving thugs after defending a young woman from an attempted carjacking,” Trump said. “He was left dripping in blood; he thought he was dead with a broken nose and concussion.”

He later connected that public safety concern to the need to remove homeless people from the city’s public spaces.