“We don’t intend to lose cities with this,” Trump said as he said it could expand crime crackdowns to New York, Chicago, Baltimore and other cities. “This will go further.”
President Trump will deploy DC police to federal government to federal government
President Donald Trump has announced he is controlling the Washington, DC police and deploying the National Guard.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said crackdowns on crime in the country’s capital could be extended to other major U.S. cities as he announced plans to send 800 National Guard to Washington, D.C.
Trump held a press conference on Monday, August 11th, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Chicago, Chicago and Oakland as a potential future target for a dramatic escalation of federal presence on the streets of American cities.
“We’re not going to lose the city about this, this will go further. We’re starting very strongly from DC and we’re going to clean it up soon,” Trump said.
Trump did not elaborate on plans for other cities. However, one of the two enforcement actions he signed on August 11th directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegses to coordinate with the governor and “approve the orders of additional National Guard members to the active service as they deem necessary and appropriate to reinforce this mission.”
“We’re going to reclaim the capital,” Trump said. “And we see other cities too, but other cities are studying what we do.”
Trump warns cities to “learn their lessons”
The cities Trump mentioned are led by Democratic mayors, along with Democratic governors who are less likely to demand Trump’s administration’s intervention than Republican governors, the president’s political ally.
“I hope other cities see this…and they’ll probably self-clean,” Trump said. He said he would look at New York City next. “I’m going to do the same thing in Chicago if necessary.”
In another executive order, Trump invoked authority to control the Washington police department under section 740 of the Home Rules Act. The move, authorized by federal law as part of federal law, is not an option for Trump elsewhere as part of its unique status as a federal enclave.
Secretary of War Daniel Driscoll is scheduled to lead the National Guard operations in Washington.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegses said the Pentagon is also ready to bring in additional National Guard and other specialized units if necessary. “They’ll be strong. They’ll be tough. And they’ll be standing with their law enforcement partner,” Hegses said.
“This is nothing new to DOD,” he added, pointing to the deployment of troops at the US-Mexico border to crack down on illegal immigration.
Trump’s authority over the National Guard was challenged earlier this year after slamming the California State Guard to quell protests against widespread deportation due to increased immigration enforcement in the Los Angeles area. After Democrats’ government’s Gavin Newsom challenged Trump’s control over the military, the judge ruled in Trump’s favor.
Trump has launched a list of recent violent crimes in Washington, D.C., to justify his actions. However, statistics compiled by the Metropolitan Police Department show that previous severe crimes in 2025 have fallen 26% compared to last year, while murders have fallen 12%. Similarly, New York City murders have declined in 2025 compared to the same period last year.
Mayor pushes back Trump’s threat
The FBI report, released on August 5, found that in 2024 there was a 4.5% decrease in the US compared to 2023.
The U.S. Mayoral Conference, representing around 1,400 mayors, responded to Trump’s actions and threats by promoting a “national success story” that plunges crime rates.
“In the end, the best public safety results will be provided by local officials who know the local police department and the community,” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, president of the mayoral meeting, said in a statement. “The mayor of the United States does not view other levels of government acquisition as a tactic with a track record of producing results.”
Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott said in response to Trump portraying his city, “Baltimore has been the safest in over 50 years,” adding that murders have fallen by about 28% in 2025.
“We still have something to do based on this progress,” Scott said in a statement.
Contributed by: Cybele Mayes-Osterman from USA Today
Reach Joey Garrison with X @joeygarrison.
