After two murders at the autonomous zone anarchists set up in Seattle, Mayor Jenny Durkan finally realized she couldn't allow the lawlessness to continue. The police were ordered back in to clean up the place and dismantle the ‘summer of love’ known as CHOP.
"The impacts have increased and the safety has decreased," Durkan said last month, pointing to the dangerous atmosphere in CHOP at night.
“It’s time for people to go home, it is time for us to restore Cal Anderson and Capitol Hill so it can be a vibrant part of the community,” she added. “The impacts on the businesses and residents and the community are now too much.”
But according to President Trump, the cleanup only came after Durkan was notified the feds would be going in to dismantle the “autonomous zone”.
"We were going in, we were going in very soon," Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Thursday. "We let them know that and all of a sudden, they didn’t want that. So they went in before we got there, but we were going in very shortly, very soon, and we would’ve taken the 'CHOP' ... back very easily, but they went in, and frankly, the people just gave up. They were tired. They had it for a long period of time."
The president had long vowed to “straighten it out” if local officials wouldn’t—and after Durkan repeatedly turned down offers of assistance, the president said he had had enough.
“We were all set to go into Seattle,” Trump explained. “Frankly, I looked forward to it.”
VIDEO - Trump: We Told Seattle That We Were Coming in If They Wouldn’t Act to Take Back CHOP https://t.co/5JKlOfeaNC
— Grabien (@GrabienMedia) July 10, 2020