Days after deploying National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to send additional forces into Baltimore, escalating his law-and-order campaign against Democratic-led cities ahead of the election.
Trump described Baltimore as âout of controlâ and âcrime-ridden,â aiming at Maryland
Gov. Wes Moore (D) in a move that further heightened tensions between the two.
Earlier this month, Trump ordered Guard patrols in Washington, a step critics have characterized as a federal takeover of the capitalâs policing. U.S. media reported on Sunday that Guard units in the city will soon begin carrying weapons, according to Forbes.
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In June, Trump dispatched nearly 5,000 troops to Los Angeles to suppress protests over immigration raids, a decision that California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) strongly opposed. Reports now indicate the administration is preparing what would be an unprecedented deployment of Guard troops to Chicago, drawing sharp resistance from Democrats.
On Baltimore, Trump posted on Truth Social, âIf Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in LA, I will send in the âtroops,â which is being done in nearby DC, and quickly clean up the Crime.â
For his part, Moore responded by inviting Trump to walk the streets of Baltimore with him to counter what he called the presidentâs âblissful ignoranceâ and â1980 scare tactics.â On X, the 46-year-old governor added a jab: âHey Donald, we can get you a golf cart if that makes things easier.â
That said, both the president and the governor would be highly protected â unlike average citizens.
Trump replied that he would âmuch prefer that he clean up this Crime disaster before I go there for a âwalk,ââ accusing Moore of a âvery badâ crime record.
The Pentagon has not confirmed reports of a deployment to Chicago, but Trump told reporters on Friday that both Chicago and New York could follow Washington. âWeâre going to make our cities very, very safe. I think Chicago will be our next and then weâll help with New York,â he said in the Oval Office.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, both Democrats, have
also rejected the idea. âDonald Trump and MAGA Republicans are trying to paint their party as one of âlaw and order.â That couldnât be further from the truth,â Pritzker wrote on X, though neither he nor Johnson has introduced anything even close to what the president is pushing in terms of tackling crime.
Forbes noted that Chicago recorded a modest 8 percent drop in murders in 2024 over the previous year, but last yearâs figure was still 573. Moore also claimed that the murder rate in Baltimore has declined considerably.
But according to the most recent crime statistics, Baltimore â which has seen a significant decrease in its population and is now one of the countryâs top 15 shrinking cities â still has high crime rates, including aggravated assault, burglary, rape, and property crime. Whatâs more, its public schools are failing, graduating students who have yet to even achieve basic literacy. In addition, Baltimore has high property tax rates, which is also contributing to its population decline.
As for the president, voters are giving him high marks on his efforts to fight crime and generally shrink âthe DC swamp.â But they also want him to do more.
According to a new Rasmussen Reports poll released Friday, 62% of likely voters back Trumpâs promise to âdrain the swamp.â That included 46% who said they âstrongly agree.â
Support was strong among Republicans and conservatives, but also reached across party lines, with 50% of Democrats, 61% of Hispanics, and 46% of African Americans backing Trumpâs pledge.
Despite those numbers, many voters do not yet believe Trump has succeeded.
Just 45% said they believe Trump has been successful in draining the swamp, while 48% said he has been âunsuccessful.â
