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<v Speaker 1>Joining me now. He is a National Guard colonel. He's

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<v Speaker 1>been Emergency Management Officer for the National Capital Region, now

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<v Speaker 1>Liaison officer for Defense Support of Civil Authorities. He's in

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<v Speaker 1>the DC parking lot right now. He is Colonel Josh McConkey.

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<v Speaker 1>First of all, welcome to the show.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you very much, appreciate you having me on. I'm

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<v Speaker 2>at the headquarters at Tindel Air Force Base. It's actually

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<v Speaker 2>in Florida, not physically in DC.

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<v Speaker 1>My apologies. Thanks for clarifying that. Let's talk about what

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<v Speaker 1>actually happened yesterday and what that means in practice. What

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<v Speaker 1>did you hear yesterday?

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<v Speaker 2>So just addressing some of the crime issues. Having been

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<v Speaker 2>in Washington, D C. For three years myself as a commander,

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<v Speaker 2>I've had several colleagues attacked.

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<v Speaker 3>I had one of my colleagues had.

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<v Speaker 2>Their son who worked at the White House was assaulted

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<v Speaker 2>last year, was beat very severely, had some permanent vision

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<v Speaker 2>damage and some things. So, you know, crime is a

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<v Speaker 2>very real deal there in Washington, D C. And this

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<v Speaker 2>is just simply getting things under control to have a

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<v Speaker 2>safe nation capital.

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<v Speaker 1>And you know, I love Washington, DC, and I always

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<v Speaker 1>tell people I think every American wherever you are in

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<v Speaker 1>the country, you should plan and take a vacation and

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<v Speaker 1>go to Washington, d C. And see all the monuments

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<v Speaker 1>and go to the museums and do all the history.

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<v Speaker 1>But make sure you're back at your hotel by eight

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<v Speaker 1>because it's not safe to be outside after that. That's

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<v Speaker 1>the reality, and it's not okay. And one of the

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<v Speaker 1>things that I heard i listened to press conference this morning,

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<v Speaker 1>this president wants our capital to be a shining, beautiful

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<v Speaker 1>model city for the rest of the country. I really

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<v Speaker 1>think that's his intention, But what does that mean in practice?

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<v Speaker 1>What happens from this point forward.

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<v Speaker 2>So really, what you're going to see is you're just

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<v Speaker 2>going to see men and women from their own community.

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<v Speaker 2>That's why a lot of people join the National Guard

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<v Speaker 2>is to serve your community. So they're going to be

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<v Speaker 2>called in and they won't be doing police activities per se,

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<v Speaker 2>because there's a Posse Commatatis Act that prevents that if

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<v Speaker 2>you're on federal orders.

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<v Speaker 3>But they're going to be able to fulfill a lot

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<v Speaker 3>of the roles that the Washington d C.

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<v Speaker 2>Police and firefighters and social workers. They're going to be

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<v Speaker 2>able to do some of their jobs. That then freeze

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<v Speaker 2>them up to address these issues in Washington d C.

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<v Speaker 2>These are your friends and neighbors out in your community.

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<v Speaker 1>But what does this mean in terms of when people

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<v Speaker 1>say this is the first step to authoritarian rule? What

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<v Speaker 1>is the actual authority of the president here?

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<v Speaker 3>So the authority it was well established.

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<v Speaker 2>It was a congressional law passed in nineteen seventy three,

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<v Speaker 2>so the.

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<v Speaker 3>DC Home Act. Washington d C. Is not a state.

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<v Speaker 2>It has always been a federal district of Columbia, and

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<v Speaker 2>in nineteen seventy three they gave Washington d C. The

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<v Speaker 2>ability to do some very limited self rule. But Congress

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<v Speaker 2>has always retained that authority. Nothing has changed. They've had

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<v Speaker 2>this authority since it was since it was Washington d C.

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<v Speaker 2>And then even since nineteen seventy three they've they've kept

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<v Speaker 2>that authority over them.

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<v Speaker 1>So how long does that authority last permanently? Is there

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<v Speaker 1>a span of time I was under the impression I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know where I got thirty days? But how long

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<v Speaker 1>does that last?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so the administration is announced thirty days. I think

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<v Speaker 2>that's a very reasonable window of time to evaluate how

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<v Speaker 2>things are progressing, and they'll reevaluate it after that thirty

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<v Speaker 2>days and see what else needs to be done or

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<v Speaker 2>if the mission is complete.

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<v Speaker 1>So what is this going to look like for your

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<v Speaker 1>normal citizens who should be worried here?

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<v Speaker 3>I don't think anyone needs to be worried.

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<v Speaker 2>They need to be celebrating that the crime issues are

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<v Speaker 2>being addressed. I know if I saw the things happening

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<v Speaker 2>in my community where I live in North Carolina, I

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<v Speaker 2>would very much want there to be some intervention and

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<v Speaker 2>if you had that resource. Yeah, I have three children.

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<v Speaker 2>I want a safe environment for my family. This isn't

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<v Speaker 2>a political issue. This is about safety in our nation's capital.

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<v Speaker 1>Is there any concern that by bringing in FEDS you

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<v Speaker 1>are either undermining local authority in a way that is

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<v Speaker 1>not helpful on the long term or is there a

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<v Speaker 1>hope that and this is what I'm hoping is that

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<v Speaker 1>it works, and when it works, other large Democrat mayors

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<v Speaker 1>will go, Wow, that actually worked and maybe try to

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<v Speaker 1>replicate some of the same stuff. Do you think that

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<v Speaker 1>there's any possibility or if there is a possibility, what

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<v Speaker 1>would success look like in your world? You know, is

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<v Speaker 1>it for me? Is the crime rate below the national average?

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<v Speaker 1>That would be a stunning success.

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<v Speaker 2>So you know, for me, just having crime lowered, especially

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<v Speaker 2>the violent crimes, the muggings, the carjackings, the assaults. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>that's what I've seen just personally with some colleagues that

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<v Speaker 2>had been injured over the past year. So you know

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<v Speaker 2>that can't happen in our nation's capital. That's the face

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<v Speaker 2>of the country. That's where people, foreign indignitaries, people from

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<v Speaker 2>all over the world go to visit, and needs to

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<v Speaker 2>be a safe environment. So that's not really a political

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<v Speaker 2>issue success. There is just a safe community for you

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<v Speaker 2>and your family. And these DC Guard members there are ready,

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<v Speaker 2>they live there, this is their home.

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<v Speaker 3>So these are just your friends and neighbors.

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<v Speaker 1>So how long did he say how long they were

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<v Speaker 1>going to be deployed? How long is this deployment? What

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<v Speaker 1>does that look like?

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<v Speaker 3>It's planned right now at thirty days?

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<v Speaker 1>That's right now.

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<v Speaker 3>You're going to reevaluate after that.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, that's where the thirty days came from. I was like, Mandy,

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<v Speaker 1>how do you have thirty days in your head? Colonel

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<v Speaker 1>Josh McConkie. I hope you're right. I mean, I hope

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<v Speaker 1>that it goes as planned. What I find really really

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<v Speaker 1>interesting is that once again President Trump is essentially forced

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<v Speaker 1>democrats into a position where they seem to be on

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<v Speaker 1>the side of criminals, and i'm I'm you know what,

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<v Speaker 1>it's kind of interesting to watch that happen. I appreciate

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<v Speaker 1>your time today very much, sir.

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, ma'am, thank you very much.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, that is Colonel Josh McConkey.