WASHINGTON – On Sunday, President Donald Trump threatened to increase military deployments to more cities led by Democrats. This response followed an invitation from Maryland’s governor for a joint tour of Baltimore, to which Trump countered that he might instead “send in the ‘troops.’”
Trump recently mentioned considering similar troop deployments in Chicago and New York, akin to those in the nation’s capital, where thousands of National Guard members and federal law enforcement officials are currently on patrol.
The threat to Baltimore arose during a disagreement with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat who has been vocal about opposing Trump’s use of federal power to address crime and homelessness in Washington. Governor Moore invited Trump to his state last week for discussions on public safety and to tour the city.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump claimed that Moore’s invitation was issued “in a rather nasty and provocative tone.” He further mentioned the possibility of repeating a National Guard deployment, similar to the one in Los Angeles pushed through despite opposition from California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom.
“Wes Moore’s record on Crime is a very bad one, unless he fudges his figures on crime like many of the other ‘Blue States’ are doing,” Trump stated, using a derogatory nickname for the California governor. He added, “But if Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in L.A., I will send in the ‘troops,’ as is happening in nearby DC, and quickly resolve the Crime.”
Moore commented that he invited Trump to Maryland because Trump seemingly “enjoys living in this blissful ignorance” about Baltimore’s improving crime rates. Post-pandemic spikes mirrored trends nationwide, but Baltimore’s violent crime rate has since fallen. The 200 homicides last year were reduced by 24% from the year before and 42% since 2021, based on city reports. For 2023 to 2024, overall violent crime decreased nearly 8% and property crimes by 20%.
“The president is spending all of his time talking about me,” Moore said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “I’m spending my time talking about the people I serve.”
Trump is “spouting off a bunch of lies about public safety in Maryland,” Moore said in a fundraising email.
In Washington, where Trump is surging National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officers, a patchwork of protests popped up throughout the city over the weekend, while some normally bustling corners were noticeably quiet. In some of the most populated areas, residents walked by small groups of national guardsmen, often talking among themselves. Videos of arrests and detainments circulated on social media.
Trump has said Chicago and New York are most likely his next targets, eliciting strong pushback from Democratic leaders in both states. The Washington Post reported Saturday that the Pentagon has spent weeks preparing for an operation in Chicago that would include National Guard troops and potentially active duty forces.
Asked about the Post report, the White House pointed to Trump’s earlier comments discussing his desire to expand his use of military forces to target local crime.
“I think Chicago will be our next,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday, adding, “And then we’ll help with New York.”
Trump has repeatedly described some of the nation’s largest cities — run by Democrats, with Black mayors and majority-minority populations — as dangerous and filthy. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is Black, as is Moore. The District of Columbia and New York also have Black mayors.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, speaking during a religious event Sunday at Howard University in Washington, said the Guard’s presence in the nation’s capital was not about crime: “This is about profiling us.”
“This is laced with bigotry and racism,” he later elaborated to reporters. “Not one white mayor has been designated. And I think this is a civil rights issue, a race issue, and an issue of D.C. statehood.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, said there is no emergency warranting the deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago.
“Donald Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he’s causing families,” Pritzker wrote on X. “We’ll continue to follow the law, stand up for the sovereignty of our state, and protect Illinoisans.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city doesn’t need “a military occupation” and would sue to block one. He said there has been no communication from the White House about a possible military deployment.
“We’re not going to surrender our humanity to this tyrant,” Johnson said Sunday on MSNBC. “I can tell you this, the city of Chicago has a long history of standing up against tyranny, resisting those who wish to undermine the interests of working people.”
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Cooper reported from Phoenix.
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