Zach Klein is the Columbus City Attorney.
In my office, domestic abuse cases are the most serious crimes we prosecute, and unfortunately, Columbus’ domestic violence and stalking unit handles thousands of these cases each year.
Many involve severe bodily harm and violence I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. That’s why we took the unprecedented step to push for $500,000 bonds for the worst offenders, those who pose the greatest risk for more lethal violence to their victims.
Domestic violence is heinous and must be treated that way — with tough prosecutions, harsh sentences and total condemnation from our leaders, from local prosecutors up to the president.
Domestic violence isn’t just a ‘little fight’
That’s why for the survivors and families of those lost to domestic violence who gathered at city hall this week for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, President Donald Trump’s comments in September downplaying the severity of domestic violence cut especially deep.
Violence inflicted upon victims by an intimate partner isn’t just “a little fight.”
The trauma felt by children and victims aren’t “lesser things that take place in the home.” The danger posed to responding police officers isn’t something to dismiss.
These are serious crimes that demand serious responses, but right now, Trump doesn’t seem interested. We know this, not just because of what he said, but because of what he’s done in his return to Washington.
In recent years, Columbus worked with the Biden administration to embed victim advocates to co-respond with police in areas with high rates of domestic violence, as well as in the courtroom to help survivors file for protection orders.
This program helped more than 1,500 victims when they needed it most.
In December 2024, the Department of Justice invited Columbus to apply to expand this program to cover the entire city. But once the Trump administration took over the DOJ, it abruptly canceled the funding, ending hope of expansion and forcing the city and its partners to scramble to keep existing resources available.
It doesn’t end there.
We don’t need adversaries in Washington
The Trump administration also threatened to cut millions in funding for law enforcement and public safety programs, including funds to assist the crime lab in processing evidence to solve more cases and support domestic violence and stalking unit operations — prosecuting violent criminals and offering critical support services to survivors.
We sued the Trump administration for its illegal attempt to cut off these funds, and so far, we’ve been successful, with a federal judge ruling in our favor.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
We want partners in Washington, not adversaries. More than that, domestic violence victims want a president who believes them and uses power to make a difference rather than making light of the issue.
The truth is, this is an area where communities across America, both urban and rural, red and blue, need some assistance. While most violent crime is declining, domestic violence-related homicides are increasing. In Columbus, 19% of homicides were domestic violence-related in 2024, up from 17% in 2023 and 5% in 2022.
At the same time Trump has been fighting to cut local police resources, he’s made a spectacle of sending the National Guard into cities where leaders and even the police say they’re not needed. This made-for-TV policing doesn’t make us safer, reduce crime or get violent criminals off the streets. It’s just theater.
If the president values law and order, he should release the funds already approved by Congress, work with leaders to invest in more police in our cities, give police and prosecutors the tools they need to get violent offenders off the streets and behind bars for a long time, and support survivors of domestic violence and their families. Cities would get behind that.
Americans, especially those who’ve experienced and are currently enduring domestic abuse, deserve better leadership than what’s currently on display in the White House. We must demand more from the president and his administration. Lives depend on it.
Zach Klein is the Columbus City Attorney.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Domestic violence not a ‘little fight.’ Columbus survivors need Trump to get it. | Opinion
Reporting by Zach Klein / The Columbus Dispatch
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