As it turns out, the Washington, D.C. Police Chief apparently doesn’t know what basic phrases like “chain of command” mean… While speaking to reporters about the federal takeover of the D.C. police, Chief Pamela Smith was asked what the “chain of command is now.” Her response? “What does that mean?” Watch for yourself: REPORTER: “Do you know what the chain of command is now?” D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith: “What does that mean?” Smith previously served as the Police Department’s “Chief Equity Officer”. pic.twitter.com/CdggV2lnP9 — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 12, 2025 Now, to give Pamela the benefit of the doubt, perhaps she was confused about the framing of the question. But, if that were the case, why did she immediately step aside to let the mayor answer the question for her? Love how quickly the mayor chimes in the moment the Police Chief said she doesn’t know what the chain of command means. — MAGS (@TAftermath2020) August 12, 2025 It doesn’t take a genius to deduce that it’s more likely she had no clue what the phrase “chain of command” was referring to. And, that’s very troubling, considering that all U.S. police forces, as well as the military, uses this phrase frequently. So, you might be wondering: how is it possible for the Chief of Police in D.C. to be promoted to that role without knowing this basic phrase? Well, I have the answer for you. It should come as no surprise that Smith was a literal DEI hire. She’s literally a DEI Hire, who spent basically her entire career doing DEI efforts, she was selected for promotion to Chief, on that basis. pic.twitter.com/mvRKmAOb1C — Emergent Perspective (@_emergent_) August 12, 2025 Before becoming the first Black woman to be promoted to D.C. Chief of Police, she served as the Chief Equity Officer — the police’s DEI department. Her bio on the Metropolitan Police Department website reads: She began her career with the United States Park Police in 1998 as a patrol officer in the San Francisco Field Office and received numerous commendations for her proactive efforts with drug enforcement, sobriety checkpoints, and community engagement. As her experience grew, she was reassigned to the New York Field Office where she continued her remarkable work ethic and joined the Canine Unit as a Canine Handler in the Explosive Ordnance and Detection Unit. She transitioned to a Senior Instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), Law Enforcement Driver Training Program in Glynco, GA. She rose through the ranks as sergeant, lieutenant, captain, major, deputy chief and was ultimately promoted to Chief of Police, becoming the first African-American female to serve as Chief in the agency’s then 230-year-old history. After a successful career in law enforcement with the US Park Police, Smith joined the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in May 2022 as the Chief Equity Officer, assigned to the Executive Office of the Chief of Police. She led the department’s efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), made an immediate impact at the MPD and ensured that DEI issues remained a priority in the department. She developed an organizational channel for department-wide accountability by providing strategic advice to the Chief of Police, executive leadership, and senior management officials within the department. In addition to her DEI focus, she supervised the Directorates for Employee Well-Being and Support Unit and Equal Employment Opportunity Office. She made a significant impact in a brief time span and in April 2023, was promoted to the Assistant Chief of Police, Homeland Security Bureau where she led the operational and administrative functions of the Special Operations Division, Joint Strategic & Tactical Analysis Command Center, and the Office of Intelligence. On July 17, 2023, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that she selected Pamela A. Smith to serve as the next Chief of Police at the Metropolitan Police Department. Smith was  officially confirmed Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department on November 7, 2023. The fact that this is the person in charge of the police in D.C. really explains a lot… No wonder our nation’s capital has become overrun by crime and violence! By the way, the answer to the reporter’s question about the chain of command in D.C. is that the MPD now answers to Pam Bondi, who President Trump appointed as interim commissioner. Following the federal takeover last night, law enforcement arrested 23 people in D.C. Karoline Leavitt provided an update today: NEW: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on DC crime crackdown that began Monday night: “Approximately 850 officers and agents were surged across the city. They made a total of 23 arrests…” pic.twitter.com/ciWv4mugUO — Fox News (@FoxNews) August 12, 2025