The mother of a slain congressional intern said President Donald Trump has the right idea in cracking down on crime in Washington, D.C.
On June 30, Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, who was interning with Rep. Ron Estes, a Republican from Kansas, was shot to death during a drive-by shooting when he was caught in a crossfire. No arrests have been made.
“As far as I’m concerned, if Trump feels that he needs to take it over until they [city leadership] can get their act together and start prosecuting these juveniles and these people to the fullest extent of the law and not slap their hands so they can go out and do it again and get into more violent crime as they age, I feel it’s a good idea,” his mother, Tamara Tarpinian-Jachym, said in an interview with ABC.
“My son didn’t deserve what happened to him. Nobody deserves that. He was shot. He wasn’t the intended target,” she said.
Tarpinian-Jachym said there is also tremendous symbolic importance to cleaning up crime in the District of Columbia.
“That is our nation’s capital; it should be the safest place in the world for anyone to go, in my opinion,” she said. “And if they set the tone, then maybe these other Democratic cities and other people that live in these cities will start saying, ‘Hey, we’re sick of this crime, too.’”
On Monday, Trump said he is activating the District of Columbia National Guard and putting the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control.
Tamara Jachym lost her 21-year-old son, Eric, in a senseless act of violence earlier this summer while in Washington, D.C. for a Congressional internship.
Here’s her reaction to @POTUS‘ announcement earlier today:
“I was so happy… I said, ‘Eric, you haven’t died in vain.’” pic.twitter.com/H4bgT4ytbs
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 11, 2025
Do you agree with Trump’s takeover of D.C. police?
“When I heard the news today, and he mentioned my son, not by name, and mentioned the others who have been victims of violent crime, I was so happy and I said, I looked at Eric’s ashes, and I said, ‘Eric, you haven’t died in vain,’” Tarpinian-Jachym said in a video posted to X.
“Things will change so other people are safe when they go visit D.C. or work in D.C. and that’s my goal, to make people safe,” she said.
Trump wrote the slain intern’s family a letter, his mother noted.
“While we may never fully understand the impact that Eric has had during his meaningful life, we know he will be remembered for his kindness, faithfulness, and devotion to your family and his many friends,” Trump wrote, according to Fox News.
“He will also be remembered for his commitment to our country. I know how proud Congressman Estes was to have Eric represent his office, the people of Kansas’ Fourth Congressional District, and our Nation,” he wrote.
Tarpinian-Jachym said she knows nothing about the death of her son except that no arrests have been made.
“I know nothing. I know about what’s happening,” she lamented. “I don’t know exactly how many bullets hit my son. All I know is from what the death certificate says, several bullet wounds. I don’t know where he was hit, but I have an idea. I know nothing and maybe that’s for the better, so they can catch this person or these persons. I am praying it will happen.”
Tarpinian-Jachym said she supports the efforts of Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, to find her son’s killer or killers.
“She doesn’t pull punches. She’s for victims and I respect that woman and I respected what she told me, ‘It’s going to take a long time, Mrs. Jachym. We’re going to do our dual diligence’ and I believe her. She is for victims,” she said.
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