() As President Donald Trump announced plans to federalize the police in Washington, D.C., he called out other Democratic-led cities, including Los Angeles, Baltimore, Oakland, New York and Chicago, as potential future targets.
“We’re going to take back our capital,” Trump said. “And then we’ll look at other cities.”
Trump’s federalization efforts include placing the D.C. police department under federal control and deploying the National Guard in the city.
While Trump can take federal control over D.C.’s police department, he does not have the same power in states across the country.
Crime rates declining nationally
Despite Trump’s repeated claims that major cities are plagued by crime, recent data shows a downward trend.
When comparing the first six months of 2024 with the same period in 2025, the homicide rate in 30 cities dropped by 17%, amounting to 327 fewer homicides, according to the Council on Criminal Justice.
Homicide, aggravated assault and robbery rates are all down in the cities Trump is proposing to target, according to the Major Cities Chiefs Association.
Chicago pushes back
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson strongly opposes a federal takeover of his city and has said any federal action would be unconstitutional.
In response to Trump’s remarks, Johnson is calling on the president to release federal funding that is being withheld, arguing the money would go directly toward antiviolence initiatives.
“If President Trump wants to help make Chicago safer, he can start by releasing the funds for antiviolence programs that have been critical to our work to drive down crime and violence,“ Johnson said in a statement on X.
Currently, violent crime is trending downward in the city as “through Aug. 10, there were 249 homicides in Chicago compared to 100 more by this time last year,” according to local affiliate WGN.
Teen violence still an issue
Teen violence continues to be an issue even as overall crime is down. Trump’s push to federalize D.C. comes after a dozen teenagers attacked a government worker earlier this month.
Cities are taking steps to address youth crime. Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman has pledged to impose swift penalties on any teenager who participates in, witnesses or records harmful behaviors, such as teen takeovers, as reported by local affiliate KTLA.
“This is what has been plaguing and ravaging communities for years. … We have said enough is enough,” Hochman warned.
