On Monday, Attorney General William Barr declared that the cities of New York, Seattle, and Portland are “anarchist jurisdictions.” Barr explained that these cities were designated as such because their elected officials had “refused to undertake reasonable measures to counteract criminal activities.”

Justifying the decision, Barr argued, “When state and local leaders impede their own law enforcement officers and agencies from doing their jobs, it endangers innocent citizens who deserve to be protected, including those who are trying to peacefully assemble and protest.”

All three cities Barr designated have acted in varying degrees to defund the police. As reporter Steven Nelson notes, “New York City made the Justice Department’s list in part because its city council approved a budget in July that cut $1 billion from the NYPD’s $6 billion annual budget — even as murders and shootings in Gotham soared.”

Designating these cities “anarchist jurisdictions” will allow President Donald Trump to limit the amount of federal tax dollars available to these cities. “We cannot allow federal tax dollars to be wasted when the safety of the citizenry hangs in the balance,” Barr contended, echoing Trump’s comments a month ago. “It is my hope that the cities identified by the Department of Justice today will reverse course and become serious about performing the basic function of government and start protecting their own citizens.”

Barr’s action will allow federal agencies to redirect funds away from cities that “permitted violence and the destruction of property,” likely thinking they’d send the bill to the federal government. But President Trump won’t allow the rest of Americans to have to foot the bill for the willful negligence of Democrat city leaders.