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 “out of control” and “crime-ridden,” 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 capital’s policing. U.S. media reported on Sunday that Guard units in the city will soon begin carrying weapons, according to Forbes.
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, “If Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in LA, I will send in the ‘troops,’ which is being done in nearby DC, and quickly clean up the Crime.”
For his part, Moore responded by inviting Trump to walk the streets of Baltimore with him to counter what he called the president’s “blissful ignorance” and “1980 scare tactics.” On X, the 46-year-old governor added a jab: “Hey Donald, we can get you a golf cart if that makes things easier.”
That said, both the president and the governor would be highly protected – unlike average citizens.
Trump replied that he would “much prefer that he clean up this Crime disaster before I go there for a ‘walk,’” accusing Moore of a “very bad” 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. “We’re going to make our cities very, very safe. I think Chicago will be our next and then we’ll help with New York,” he said in the Oval Office.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, both Democrats, have also rejected the idea. “Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are trying to paint their party as one of ‘law and order.’ That couldn’t be further from the truth,” 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 year’s 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 — which has seen a significant decrease in its population and is now one of the country’s top 15 shrinking cities — still has high crime rates, including aggravated assault, burglary, rape, and property crime. What’s 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 ‘the DC swamp.’ But they also want him to do more.
According to a new Rasmussen Reports poll released Friday, 62% of likely voters back Trump’s promise to “drain the swamp.” That included 46% who said they “strongly agree.”
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 Trump’s 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 “unsuccessful.”