The coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage not only America’s health but also its major economic hubs, including Washington D.C., where homicides are up and protesters continue to engage in violence.

According to DowntownDC economic tracking data, the economy has opened partially as of Aug. 31, but from April to August, it is performing at just 12.7 percent when contrasted with the same time period a year ago. The result is that the nation’s capital could end up being a failed city.

DowntownDC’s most recent data showed that only 5 percent of office buildings, apart from essential workers, are open or occupied. In short, some 95 percent of DowntownDC office workers have been operating remotely since April. The restaurant and hotel industries both took major hits, as only  38 percent of DowntownDC’s restaurants are open for indoor or outdoor dining as of August, while 79 percent of hotels are open, an increase from just 48 percent last month. More retail stores in the area also opened compared to July, at 82 percent up from 78 percent just one month earlier.

The pandemic’s impact on employment hasn’t been too drastic in the DowntownDC-area, but the hospitality and leisure sector, according to the economy update for Summer 2020, suffered the most punishing blows as they incurred 67 percent of the city’s job losses. DC reached an all-time employment high, surpassing 800,000 jobs at the beginning of the year. In June, the figure dropped by 7.3 percent which still posts stronger than the nation’s number, a 12.1 percent decrease.

The most recent data indicates an economy that’s slowly reopening, despite how much it’s underperforming compared to last year. The center predicted that the region wouldn’t fully financially recover for at least another few months.

Add in protesters and you have a recipe for more trouble, both political and economic. Hundreds of people swarmed Washington on Wednesday night after the Kentucky grand jury’s decision to not charge a police officer involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor.  The crowds of protestors grew as they joined towards the White House and Black Lives Matter Plaza, coming from the Department of Justice building.

The crowd became increasingly radicalized. It shouted, “Say her name. Breonna Taylor,” and “You can’t stop the revolution. “Wednesday night’s protest is just one from this summer, as Taylor’s death, along with several other black people who were killed by police, sparked disruptive protests and brutal violence across the country. Tensions between protestors and police officers grew as the night got darker, with protestors shattering the windows of restaurants and banks. Why didn’t the police intervene more aggressively to quell the violence?

There are other problems in Washington. From the beginning of the year until mid-September, citywide homicides have increased 12.8 percent compared to the same time period last year, according to Metropolitan Police Department data. The department also reported a 50 percent increase in arson in 2020, as there have been 12 cases since January, but in 2019, there were a total of 8 cases.

As vicious protests and riots pack the country’s streets, President Donald Trump has repeatedly attempted to restore law and order by using the rhetoric in his campaign speeches and tweets. At the Republican  National Convention, as he and convention speakers blasted Democratic nominee Joe Biden, claiming that the Democrat would encourage mob-like behavior that would make America unsafe.

Trump’s law and order signals, however, will hardly earn him D.C.’s electoral support since its solidly Democratic. But an increase in crime and disorder could have implications beyond the borders of the District itself. Chaos in Washington could redound to Trump’s benefit as he continues to bash cities run by Democratic mayors that are failing to enforce a semblance of law and order.

Rachel Bucchino is a reporter at the National Interest. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report and The  Hill.

Image: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S., September 24, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner