CNN Dubs Trump ‘Batman’ During Coverage of D.C. Crime Crackdown

During CNN coverage of federal intervention in Washington, D.C. policing, host Abby Phillip inadvertently gave President Donald Trump the nickname “Batman,” a comparison that quickly caught the attention of viewers and supporters.

Phillip introduced the segment by likening the president to the comic book hero and describing the city as Gotham City, the fictional metropolis infamous for its crime and chaos, drawing a vivid parallel to the challenges facing the nation’s capital.

“The President of the United States has declared himself crime-fighter-in-chief,” she told the panel on Monday’s episode of NewsNight. “He’s taking over Washington’s police force. It is a move that the DC mayor is calling unsettling and unprecedented.”

Phillip questioned whether Trump was portraying the situation as an emergency without sufficient evidence, noting that crime in DC has declined to levels not seen in 30 years. 

Despite the playful nickname, concerns about crime in the capital remain. 

Justice Department official Harmeet Dhillon revealed that she was nearly mugged while walking to the DOJ on Tuesday. 

ABC News Live host Linsey Davis Phillips also reported being attacked near the network’s D.C. bureau on Monday, stating, “Crime is happening every single day because we’re all experiencing it firsthand, working and living down here,” emphasizing that official statistics may not reflect the dangers residents and workers face. 

Complicating the picture, a high-ranking DC police commander was recently suspended for allegedly altering crime statistics to make the city appear safer. 

Officials claim these modifications involved underreporting violent incidents, raising questions about the accuracy of the reported year-over-year decreases. 

While overall crime in DC has declined over the years, the city’s murder rate ranks seventh among U.S. cities with populations over 250,000. 

Officials note that violent incidents have risen in certain neighborhoods since 2020, a year that saw a nationwide 30 percent increase in murders. 

Shoplifting and assaults on government employees have also surged post-pandemic, peaking in 2023, according to the Daily Mail.

Trump cited the 2023 crime surge to justify federal oversight of the city’s police department. Following his executive order, the National Guard began reporting to stations Tuesday morning. 

The Batman nickname has become a point of amusement among Trump supporters. 

On social media, conservative commentator Steve Guest remarked that the reference made Trump appear “cool,” despite Phillip’s unintended framing. 

Memes portraying the president in costume circulated widely, with supporters sharing their amusement on X. 

One user posted, “Yall really trying to make @realDonaldTrump look even more bada*s aren’t you @abbydphillip?” 

The segment also recalled a 2015 encounter in which a young boy asked Trump, then campaigning, if he was Batman. Trump replied, “I am Batman,” a moment that resurfaced online following Phillip’s remarks. 

Phillip’s accidental comparison has coincidentally underscored a point long noted by conservatives: that rising crime in DC has prompted calls for federal authorities to take a more active role. 

While the comment generated amusement online, it also brings attention to serious debates about law enforcement resources, federal oversight and the safety of residents in the nation’s capital.

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