President Donald Trump signaled Friday that he may extend his Washington, D.C., crime crackdown to other major U.S. cities, specifically naming New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
He described the federal intervention in the capital as a “test case,” suggesting that its results could serve as a model for broader efforts nationwide, NY1 Spectrum News reported.
“A lot of people say, ‘Well, where is he going from there?’” Trump said. “Well, I have calls from politicians begging me to go to Chicago, begging me to go to New York, begging me to go to Los Angeles.”
The president expressed a preference for local leaders to communicate their needs for assistance in addressing crime, noting that this request was not made by Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, the outlet reported.
”They don’t like to say it. I wish they’d say, ‘I need help,’” Trump said. “I wish the mayor of D.C. would say, ‘You know, we’re overridden with crime, and we need help.’”
Trump also pointed to his earlier decision to deploy National Guard troops to Los Angeles over the objections of California’s governor, saying the move was necessary to quell protests tied to his administration’s immigration enforcement policies. He argued that without that intervention, Los Angeles might not have been in a position to host the 2028 Summer Olympics.
“They would have ripped down that city,” Trump said of the anti-ICE protesters. “We went there, and it stopped Day 1.”
Trump made the remarks while visiting a White House museum located across the street from the executive mansion. As part of his broader federal takeover of Washington, D.C., he has pledged to lead a “beautification” effort aimed at removing graffiti and repairing roads. On Friday, he said he plans to ask Congress for $2 billion to improve the city’s appearance.
Trump has also voiced interest in reshaping Washington’s cultural institutions, saying he wants to reverse what he calls a “woke” influence in the city’s museums, NY1 Spectrum News added.
The president has previously floated extending his federal crackdown to other major cities such as New York and Chicago, though it remains unclear how such a plan would be carried out outside the nation’s capital.
Washington is a unique case because, under the city’s 1973 Home Rule Act, the president has the authority to assume control of the Metropolitan Police Department for up to 30 days. Extending that authority would require approval by both houses of Congress.
Trump also deployed National Guard troops to the city, with several Republican-led states contributing additional forces.
Last week, Trump said he will ask the House and Senate pass a “crime bill” that while initially focused on Washington, would serve as “a beacon for New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and other places all over the country.”
Since formally announcing federal control over Washington, Trump has repeatedly promoted the move, claiming it has restored a sense of safety in the city and even contributed to a surge in restaurant business.
On Wednesday, Trump visited a U.S. Park Police facility in Washington, bringing pizza and hamburgers to thank officers involved in his public safety initiative. The visit came a day after Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and a senior White House official stopped at a Shake Shack in Union Station to greet National Guard troops, where they were met by protesters.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X Friday that more than 700 arrests have been made and 91 illegal firearms seized in the capital since Trump’s federal crackdown began.