The Bulwark
StoreFAQ
Sign InJoin
HomeWatchNewslettersShowsSpecial ProjectsEventsFoundersArchiveAbout
The Triad

Understanding Trump’s Pivot to “Crime”

Where does Kamala Harris go to get her apology?

Jonathan V. Last's avatar
Jonathan V. Last
September 8, 2025∙ Paid
Upgrade to listen6 minutes
436
National Guard members ride an escalator down into the WMATA Smithsonian-National Mall metro station while patrolling the National Mall, on September 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

1. Department of War

On Saturday the president of the United States claimed he was about to deploy the U.S. military against the city of Chicago. Not in support of some suffering group of victims in Chicago, mind you, but against the city itself.

He has already deployed military units from the National Guard in Washington, D.C. and California. He is also currently musing about sending the military into New Orleans.

Well here’s a blast from the past: In October 2024, the Hill published this piece by Derek Hunter:

Oops.

Now I bet you’re wondering what Derek Hunter had to say about Trump’s threat against Chicago?

Well here it is:

That’s it. The guy has tweeted roughly 9 million times over the last 48 hours and his only response to being catastrophically, hilariously wrong is to retweet someone else saying that Gavin Newsom isn’t allowed to complain about Trump doing what Harris warned about because something-something COVID.

What Derek Hunter has been tweeting about since Saturday, is crime. Dozens and dozens and dozens of posts about crime. Not just in America, but in other countries, too.

Why would that be?


Our old buddy Marc Caputo has a story in Axios this morning about the Trump administration making a hard pivot to “violent crime” as its central issue for the next phase.

That’s where Derek Hunter’s marching orders came from and if you pay any attention to MAGA media today, you’ll see this tactic playing out in real time.

In order to understand what’s happening, and why, I want you to keep some things in mind . . .

Join Bulwark+ to unlock the rest🔓

Become a paying member of The Bulwark to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content. A subscription gets you:

  • Unlimited access to articles and newsletters including The Triad by JVL and Receipts by Catherine Rampell.
  • Ad-free editions of our shows (with transcripts) and member-only shows like The Secret Podcast.
  • Plus community chats and commenting features. Your support helps keep our work sustainable and available to those who cannot afford a membership. Cancel anytime.
Join
Already a paid subscriber? Sign in

Sign up to get a FREE daily dose of sanity in your inbox.

The Bulwark
HomeWatchShowsSpecial ProjectsEventsFoundersArchiveAbout
Get the Bulwark appInstagramFacebookYouTube
© 2026 Center Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Powered by Substack.
Privacy∙Terms∙Collection notice