In an apparent effort to waste everyone's time whilst satiating Trump supporters who love nonsensical shit like this, the Department of Justice claims to have "identified" what they purport to be "anarchist jurisdictions."
In a press release shared on Monday, Attorney General William Barr echoed Trump’s previous funding-related threats, stating that they "cannot allow federal tax dollars to be wasted when the safety of the citizenry hangs in the balance." If that sounds like a ridiculous thing to say, you're absolutely right. It is.
"When state and local leaders impede their own law enforcement officers and agencies from doing their jobs, it endangers innocent citizens who deserve to be protected, including those who are trying to peacefully assemble and protest," Barr also said on Monday.
The areas listed as those the DOJ would like you to believe are "permitting violence and destruction of property" include New York City, Portland, and Seattle. Per the DOJ, the list is intended as a follow-up to Trump's memo earlier this month in which the phrase "anarchist jurisdictions" was used. As stated in that memo, which also utilized the Trump-frequented "law and order" messaging, the Trump administration would like supporters to believe that actual anarchy has "beset some of our states and cities."
NYC mayor Bill de Blasio has since addressed his city being named in the targeted DOJ release, calling it "just another one of Trump's games" that—like the other campaign stunts that have preceded it—makes no sense.
"It's not based in the facts in the least," he said on Monday. "It's insulting to the people of New York City and his effort to withhold our funding is unconstitutional."
The DOJ's press release, as well as Trump's previous "anarchist jurisdictions" memo, will thankfully continue to be mocked for quite some time:
