When will Donald Trump send the National Guard to Belleview, Fla.?
Located in the shaft of the phallus-shaped Sunshine State, the tiny city in Marion County bills itself as a “city with small town charm.” Although the 5,569 residents barely qualify Belleview as a “city,” it fits the U.S. Census Bureau’s definition of “urban.” The city is 83% white and 14% Hispanic, with a poverty rate that is twice as high as the state’s. Because 92% of the city's residents were born in the U.S., deporting Belleview’s Hispanic residents wouldn’t help the poor whites. And, for some reason (DEI, probably), Belleview’s eight African-American residents have higher incomes and a lower unemployment rate than their white counterparts.
Belleview’s mayor, Christine Dobkowski, is a white Republican. The entire city council is white-presenting, along with every member of the county council. Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, is the highest elected official in a state where Republican state legislators enjoy a veto-proof GOP majority. In the 2024 election, the city overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump, catapulting the MAGA candidate to a 41-point lead over Kamala Harris. But, according to the 2024 FBI Uniform Crime Report, this white, Republican-controlled enclave has one proud distinction.
Belleview is the murder capital of America.