John Kennedy Skewers ‘Tofu Mob’ With ‘NPR Tote Bags’ Who Oppose Federal Help For DC

Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy didn’t hold back Tuesday on Fox News as he blasted progressive critics of President Donald Trump and his plan to deploy federal law enforcement to combat crime in Washington, D.C.

Trump declared a public safety emergency in Washington, D.C., and ordered the National Guard to help. During an appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Kennedy said that instead of gratitude, the president’s initiative drew outrage from what he dubbed “the tofu mob with their NPR tote bags and their organic broccoli.”

“I see movie stars and pop singers who partied with Harvey Weinstein. I see the tofu mob with their NPR tote bags and their organic broccoli, and I see many of my Democratic friends, who in response to said president, foam at the mouth and have their 19th nervous breakdown,” Kennedy said. “And instead of thanking the president or saying, ‘Good idea,’ they accuse him of undermining democracy.”

Kennedy said that while 30 days of federal help may not solve the capital’s public safety crisis, it’s “a start.” The Louisiana Republican laid the blame on city leadership. (RELATED: Popular DC Influencer Asks Followers To Defend Honor Of City — It Backfired Badly)

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“I see a dysfunctional local government that enables that crime. A dysfunctional local government that just a few years ago cut its police budget by 15%. A dysfunctional local government that believes that cops are a bigger problem than criminals. And then I see a president of the United States who says ‘Well, maybe I can help? How about if I send in 800 experienced professional well-trained federal law enforcement officials to help our local cops fight crime?” Kennedy said.

Democratic lawmakers and legacy media tried to counter Trump’s concerns about the crime rate in Washington, D.C., by highlighting a 35% drop in 2024 based on Metropolitan Police Department figures that omit several serious offenses. The Metropolitan Police Department’s”violent crime” tally counts only homicide, sex abuse, armed assault, and robbery, excluding aggravated and felony assaults without weapons.

A gang-related shooting on June 30 near a D.C. Metro station left 21-year-old congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym dead after suspects jumped out of a vehicle and fired into a crowd. United States Attorney Jeanine Pirro of the District of Columbia said Thursday she’s limited in prosecuting violent offenders in the district, adding that a 19-year-old received only probation for shooting someone in the chest, a sentence she called unacceptable.

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