President Donald Trump on Friday suggested he will deploy additional federal resources to several Democratic-led cities struggling with crime, expanding on his administration’s intervention in Washington, D.C.
Earlier this month, Trump invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to assume control of the city’s law enforcement. The move followed a series of high-profile assaults and murders involving government employees.
As part of the takeover, the administration has also deployed hundreds of National Guard troops and federal agents to support local police.
The intervention has coincided with a steep decline in crime, including an ongoing eight-day stretch without a reported homicide.
In 2024, Washington, D.C., recorded the fourth-highest murder rate in the nation. Since the takeover, carjackings have dropped by 83 percent and robberies by 43 percent, along with reductions in several other categories of crime.
Now, Trump is setting his sights on Chicago, he told reporters in the Oval Office Friday.
“After we do this will go to another location, and we’ll make it safe, also. We’re going to make our country very safe,” the president said. “We’re going to make our cities very, very safe. Chicago’s a mess.”
He described Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson as “grossly incompetent” while stating that his administration will be taking a bigger role in tackling crime in the Windy City.
“That’ll be our next one after this. And it won’t even be tough. And the people in Chicago, Mr. Vice President, are screaming for us to come,” Trump said, turning to JD Vance.
“They’re wearing red hats, just like this one. But they’re wearing red hats. African-American ladies, beautiful ladies, are saying, ‘please, President Trump, come to Chicago.’ Please. I did great with the black vote, as you know,” Trump continued.
Trump has also hinted that the federal crime intervention could spread to other blue metropolises, including New York City and Los Angeles, the latter hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics.
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He described the federal intervention in the capital as a “test case,” suggesting that its results could serve as a model for broader efforts nationwide, NY1 Spectrum News reported.
“A lot of people say, ‘Well, where is he going from there?’” Trump said. “Well, I have calls from politicians begging me to go to Chicago, begging me to go to New York, begging me to go to Los Angeles.”
The president expressed a preference for local leaders to communicate their needs for assistance in addressing crime, noting that this request was not made by Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, the outlet reported.
”They don’t like to say it. I wish they’d say, ‘I need help,’” Trump said. “I wish the mayor of D.C. would say, ‘You know, we’re overridden with crime, and we need help.’”
Trump also pointed to his earlier decision to deploy National Guard troops to Los Angeles over the objections of California’s governor, saying the move was necessary to quell protests tied to his administration’s immigration enforcement policies. He argued that without that intervention, Los Angeles might not have been in a position to host the Olympic Games.
“They would have ripped down that city,” Trump said of the anti-ICE protesters. “We went there, and it stopped Day 1.”
Trump made the remarks while visiting a White House museum located across the street from the executive mansion. As part of his broader federal takeover of Washington, D.C., he has pledged to lead a “beautification” effort aimed at removing graffiti and repairing roads. On Friday, he said he plans to ask Congress for $2 billion to improve the city’s appearance.
Trump has also voiced interest in reshaping Washington’s cultural institutions, saying he wants to reverse what he calls a “woke” influence in the city’s museums, NY1 Spectrum News added.
