A homeless man living in Washington, D.C. told the New York Times (NYT) on Friday that he does not regret voting for President Donald Trump — despite his tents being tossed out amid Trump’s calls to crack down on homelessness and crime in the city.
David Barnes, who is homeless, told the NYT that he found his tent, which had previously been located in Washington Circle, missing after police officers had once again thrown his possessions in the trash. Barnes told the outlet that “Trump and his presidency has taken away two — not one, two — of my tents.”
Despite this, Barnes told the NYT that he previously voted for Trump and would vote for him again, due to the president striving to keep the nation’s capital pristine and beautiful. The report comes amid Trump’s ongoing crackdown on homeless encampments in D.C. (RELATED: DC Sues Trump Admin For Trying To Clean Up Their Crime Problem)
WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 15: City workers, accompanied by DC Metropolitan Police clear a small homeless encampment near the White House on August 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. City officials are clearing homeless encampments throughout the city after U.S. President Donald Trump directed the effort earlier in the week as part of his effort to increase law enforcement efforts in the nation’s capital. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
On Sunday, Trump said that he wanted to give homeless people places to stay “FAR from the Capital.” The president added that “we want our Capital BACK.”
“I’m going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before. The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote in a Sunday post to Truth Social. “We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong. It’s all going to happen very fast, just like the Border. We went from millions pouring in, to ZERO in the last few months. This will be easier — Be prepared! There will be no ‘MR. NICE GUY.’ We want our Capital BACK.”
The president announced on Monday that he is deploying the National Guard to tackle crime in the nation’s capital. Additionally, Trump unveiled a July 24 executive order, “Ending Crime And Disorder On America’s Streets,” which aims to shift homeless people into “long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment will restore public order.”
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