There he was, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D–Maryland), perched on the Sunday shows like a schoolmarm wagging his finger at the nation. President Trump had the audacity—the audacity!—to do what a president is supposed to do: restore order in the nation’s capital. And what does Van Hollen call it? A “power grab.”
Let’s pause. A power grab? Sending in the National Guard when crime is spiraling out of control, when D.C. politicians can’t figure out if they’re running a city or a sociology seminar, is a power grab? You know what’s a real power grab? Forcing everyday taxpayers in the suburbs to bankroll every hare-brained social program that keeps D.C. “leaders” employed while streets turn into a live audition for The Wire.
But Van Hollen doesn’t see that. No, he’s too busy clutching his pearls on ABC’s This Week and telling America crime is “at a 30-year low.” That’s right—your car got broken into, your neighbor got mugged, shootings are spiking in neighborhoods that used to be safe—but relax, folks. Senator Statistics has a chart that says you’re actually imagining all of it.
It’s a perfect snapshot of how Democrats like Van Hollen operate. The lived reality of ordinary citizens? Doesn’t matter. What matters are the talking points crafted by the interns who hand him a flash card before the green room makeup artist powders his forehead.
And then he really let it rip: warning that Trump might “arm the Guard” and that this would somehow violate the Posse Comitatus Act. Forgive me, but is Van Hollen really suggesting the National Guard is supposed to show up with flowers and granola bars? Yes, Senator, troops tend to carry weapons. That’s kind of the point. Otherwise, you might as well send in a yoga class to de-escalate criminals with deep breathing exercises.
This is the bubble talking. Chris Van Hollen lives in a world where a press release counts as leadership and a “task force” solves everything. Meanwhile, President Trump lives in the real world, where leaders actually do something. Crime? Deploy resources. Lawlessness? Reinforce order. Pretty simple.
But simplicity terrifies people like Van Hollen. They need things to be endlessly complicated. Why? Because complicated problems require government committees, grant money, consultants, and plenty of well-paid staffers. If Trump solves the problem with the Guard in thirty days, suddenly there’s no gravy train. That’s what Van Hollen is really scared of.
And let’s not forget the theatrics—Van Hollen calling this a “raw authoritarian power grab.” Spare me. This isn’t a dress rehearsal for dictatorship; it’s a cleanup job after years of Democratic mismanagement in D.C. If anything, it’s proof that Trump is still the only adult in the room. The city council can’t even agree on trash collection schedules, but sure, let’s panic because Trump wants to keep the streets safe.
Here’s the truth Van Hollen won’t admit: Trump’s move is wildly popular with ordinary Americans. People want safety. They want law and order. They don’t want to hear another lecture about “root causes” while dodging bullets on the way to pick up groceries. The Democrats’ obsession with framing everything as authoritarian overreach makes them look like exactly what they are: out-of-touch elites who mistake their cocktail parties for the pulse of the country.
Chris Van Hollen is the perfect poster child for this attitude. He’s polished, well-spoken, and utterly clueless. He’s more worried about whether federal lawyers will file briefs than whether families can walk safely to a ballgame in D.C.
So when Van Hollen whines on television about Trump’s so-called power grab, Americans should take note. What he’s really saying is: “I care more about defending the D.C. establishment than defending you.” And that, my friends, is the very definition of being out of touch.
Ian Schartz, is a contributor for Direct Line News, he can be reached at Ian.Schwartz@mcgopclub.com
Direct Line News is a Maryland-based free-access publication committed to the Republican reform tradition.
About The Author
