Raskin fires back at House GOP over 'The Wire' jab, cites Baltimore crime drops

Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun on Sep 6, 2025

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BALTIMORE — Baltimore has one more defender — U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, who stood up for the city against House Republicans on Friday during a war of words on social media.

The Maryland Democrat wasn’t happy with the House Judiciary G.O.P., which took a swipe Friday at Baltimore’s crime rate while touting President Donald Trump’s efforts to curb muggings and murders in Washington, D.C.

Trump sent National Guard troops to patrol the streets of the nation’s capital, and has pledged to do the same in Baltimore, Chicago and New Orleans, despite considerable pushback from elected officials in these cities.

“Crime in DC has plummeted because of President Trump,” Republicans posted on X. “Democrats are still opposed. Why?”

The Republicans then asked: “How’s the crime in Baltimore (D)? Ever seen ‘The Wire’?”

Raskin fired back, noting that the critically acclaimed television drama series by former Baltimore Sun reporter David Simon went off the air in 2008.

“‘The Wire’? Um, came out 23 years ago & was a fictional TV show, ie made-up!” Raskin replied.

“Crime’s down in the real Baltimore. Homicide is terrible in Speaker [Mike] Johnson’s Baton Rouge. Why don’t we work together to restore $800 million in DOJ (U.S. Department of Justice) local police & community security grants that DOGE (U.S. Department of Government Efficiency) cut?”

Raskin did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Saturday.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott repeated their opposition to the president’s threat during a community walk Friday through the city’s Park Heights neighborhood.

Moore described the president’s plans as “disrespectful,” while Scott declared, “We do not need an occupation. We do not need troops on our streets.”

But the remarks by the three elected officials were restrained compared to some of the comments beneath Raskin’s post.

A few posters supported the president’s plans; one showed Trump’s face inside the fictional “bat-signal” that has become synonymous with a call for help, along with the words: “Sounds like it’s time to clean up the crime in Baltimore then, right @RepRaskin?”

But the majority of the comments heaped scorn on the Republicans.

As one man put it: “Oh wow, they’re talking about the fictional TV show from 2 decades ago. Truly the dumbest people around.”