Conservatives on Capitol Hill and social media are reacting with calls to confront a crime crisis in Washington, D.C., that they say many Democrats recently voted against addressing, in response to Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar being carjacked on Monday night.
"My friend, @RepCuellar (D. TX), became the victim of a crime tonight in what’s considered a nice part of D.C. D.C. is dangerous," Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Something’s gone terribly wrong here—for far too long. Congress has the sole power to make D.C.’s laws, and must intervene."
"The crime wave in poorly-run liberal cities like DC is unacceptable & more importantly, preventable," Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose posted on X. "Hire more police Enforce the law Remove prosecutors who refuse to do their job I'm glad Rep. Cuellar is okay, but it's time for Congress to act."
"Anyone who denies crime has skyrocketed since the defund the police movement is, well, a denier and part of the problem," Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., posted on X. "Glad Henry Cuellar is okay after being carjacked, but countless citizens face unruly crime everyday. It’s time to stop crime, not deny its rampant existence."
"Rep. Cuellar was carjacked near my same DC apartment building," Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, posted. "This chaos is the result of Democrat-led Soft on Crime policies, no different than their Open Border debacle. It's time for Democrats to start taking the safety of Americans seriously."
"You got to support law enforcement. And I've been doing that for a long time. I have three brothers who are peace officers," Cuellar added. "I do want to thank the Capitol Police and I certainly want to thank the Metro Police. I'm a big law enforcement person. I got three boys in law enforcement. So I certainly appreciate the good work that the police did."
The nation’s capital has endured a crime surge this year that includes a homicide toll that has exceeded 200 before October for the first time in a quarter-century
In 2023, total violent crime is on the rise in D.C., up nearly 40% year-over-year, according to police data. Property crime is also surging, with motor vehicle thefts increasing 106% and robberies up 65%.
"There is a crime wave going on in the District of Columbia," former D.C. homicide detective Ted Williams told "America’s Newsroom" on Tuesday morning.
Fox News Digital's Megan Myers, Tyler Olson and Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.