On Sunday, President Donald Trump hinted at the possibility of deploying National Guard troops in Baltimore, a stronghold for Democrats, as part of his broader campaign against crime and immigration.
His recent remarks about the city being “out of control and full of crime” have drawn criticism from Democratic governors, including Maryland’s Wes Moore, who oppose the federal military presence in American cities.
Earlier this month, Trump ordered the National Guard to the streets of Washington, D.C., in a show of force that faced significant backlash, with Trump asserting it gave the federal government greater oversight of the district’s police department.
In June, Trump had previously directed the deployment of approximately 5,000 National Guard personnel to Los Angeles, aiming to quell protests against immigration raids, a move against which California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed strong opposition, as he is considered a potential presidential candidate for 2028.
Reports from U.S. media suggest that the Trump administration is also considering an unprecedented deployment of thousands of National Guard members to Chicago, which has stirred considerable dissent from Democrats in the city, the third largest in the U.S.
Regarding Baltimore, the President wrote on his Truth Social platform, “If Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newsom did in Los Angeles, I will send troops, as is happening in nearby Washington D.C., and I will swiftly clear out crime,” deliberately misspelling Newsom’s name to mock him, creating a name that implies “new fraud.”
This week saw escalating tensions between Trump and Moore, as the governor criticized Trump’s provocative suggestion to deploy troops in Maryland, while Trump threatened to cut federal funding intended for the repair of a collapsed bridge in the city.
Moore stated on CNN that he invited Trump to walk with him through the streets of Baltimore to dispel “this cheerful ignorance, these stereotypes, and the 1980s-style scare tactics” employed by the President.
He sarcastically suggested on X, “Hello Donald, we can provide you with a golf cart if that makes things easier.”
Trump responded, expressing that he preferred to address “this crime disaster” before going on a stroll, pointing to Moore’s “very poor” crime record.
Moore asserted that Maryland’s homicide rate has decreased by over 20% since he took office, stating, “The last time the murder rate was this low in Baltimore, I wasn’t even born yet.”
Wes Moore, 46, is a former U.S. Army veteran and best-selling author, recognized as the third Black person elected as governor of a U.S. state.
The Pentagon has declined to confirm reports regarding the imminent deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago.
Trump has indicated that cities like Chicago and New York, both led by Democrats, would see a National Guard presence similar to that in Washington.
The President told reporters at the White House, “We will make our cities very safe… I believe Chicago will be next, and then we will assist in New York.”
Both Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, both Democrats, have vehemently rejected the idea.
Pritzker remarked on X, “Donald Trump and his supporters want to portray their party as the party of law and order,” which he argued is “far from the truth.” Johnson affirmed that city officials have not received any formal notification from the federal government regarding troop deployments, labeling such a move as “uncoordinated, unnecessary, and improper.” In Chicago, the police reported 573 homicides in 2024, marking an 8% decrease from the previous year.