On Monday, President Trump seemed to step back from his earlier threat to deploy troops or take unilateral measures to tackle crime in liberal cities.
“I’ve mentioned to some folks that they really want to go. I hate visiting cities and facing hostility from corrupt and ineffective politicians,” Trump shared with reporters in the Oval Office.
“Honestly, I don’t enjoy going to towns and states only to be criticized by incompetent governors whose policies have led to rampant crime,” he added.
His comments came right before he signed a series of executive orders aimed at boosting federal efforts to address crime in the nation’s capital. One of the orders focused on eliminating cashless bail, establishing an American flag, and increasing penalties for creating specialized units in the National Guard to tackle public order issues.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration increased federal law enforcement presence in some parts of the district, claiming the level of crime was unacceptable, even as statistics indicated a drop in violent crimes in the city. This move followed an incident in which a former Trump administration efficiency employee was assaulted in the capital.
Trump deployed hundreds of National Guard troops to the city to help take control of metropolitan police stations and push for tougher measures against crime.
Last week, he suggested he might take similar actions in Chicago.
“We’re going to make that city very safe,” Trump stated last Friday. “Chicago is in disarray. You have a completely incompetent mayor. Honestly, you’re so ineffective that the next one might actually be better.”
It’s uncertain how Trump could implement similar tactics in another city, as he lacks the authority to take control of a local police station outside of Washington, D.C., where the Home Rule Act grants the federal government significant power. Officials in Illinois reacted strongly against the idea of Trump sending in the National Guard.
Trump hasn’t held back his criticisms of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D), who is seen as a potential presidential candidate for 2028.
“These people are out of touch. Yet I want to emphasize that we should probably wait until we’re invited,” Trump remarked on Monday. “Their cities are out of control, so we need to step in and resolve it to restore their trust.”
