Trump Administration Deems NYC An ‘Anarchist Jurisdiction’

NEW YORK CITY — New York City is officially an “anarchist jurisdiction.”

No, it’s not the setting of “Escape From New York” — the Trump administration gave the Big Apple that label, along with Portland and Seattle, according to a Department of Justice release.

The three cities have “permitted violence and destruction of property to persist and have refused to undertake reasonable measures to counteract criminal activities,” the release states.

Attorney General William Barr approved the designation, which shuts off an unspecified amount of federal funding.

“We cannot allow federal tax dollars to be wasted when the safety of the citizenry hangs in the balance,’’ Barr wrote in a statement.

The New York Post first reported the designation.

President Donald Trump and Barr have pointed to unrest and violence in New York City and other “Democrat”-led cities as a major problem.

Trump recently issued an order painting a grim picture of New York City in the grips of looting and a wave of "unconscionable" gun violence.

Looting did occur during the first days of protests over the killing of George Floyd and the city has seen a spike in shootings and murders. But Trump’s depiction of New York City as an anarchistic hellscape likely would be unfamiliar to many New Yorkers.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio have both threatened to fight any funding cut. De Blasio, in particular, has stressed that the city is in need of more federal funding amid the coronavirus crisis.

On Monday, de Blasio called Trump a “racist” who is trying to stoke fear over urban areas where people of color and progressives live.

“It’s the only trick he knows,” de Blasio said.

De Blasio noted he had just visited Elmhurst, Queens for the first day of school.

“I saw anything but anarchy,” he said.

New Yorkers took to Twitter to give darkly humorous accounts of their lives under “anarchy.”

Dispatches from the Anarchist Jurisdiction: My dearest Emma, please remain in Paris and do not return to the violent maelstrom that is our chaotic city. Today, I had to walk three extra blocks to find a vacant CitiBike and when I reached the cafe, the last vegan cookie was taken.
— Myke Cole (@MykeCole) September 21, 2020

Good morning from the heart of the “anarchist jurisdiction”. #NYC #CentralPark pic.twitter.com/LVICRBuSge
— heatherjensen (@heatherjensen) September 21, 2020

Read the Justice Department’s release here.