President Donald Trump has announced plans to extend his federal crime initiative beyond Washington, D.C., to other major cities potentially including Chicago and New York City.
According to Fox News, this development follows a recent crime intervention in D.C., which reportedly resulted in a notable decrease in homicides and an improved sense of safety in the city.
President Trump expressed frustration with local governments, particularly criticizing Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, whom he described as "grossly incompetent" in managing crime. Critically, Trump asserted that the people of Chicago were urgently seeking federal aid to curb escalating criminal activities. As part of a broader strategy, New York City is also in consideration for similar interventions.
The announcement comes shortly after the president launched a federal crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., with additional resources being deployed to aid the Metropolitan Police Department. This initiative, which began last week, has coincided with a reported span of over a week without homicides—a success cited by the administration as evidence of the initiative's effectiveness.
Emphasizing safety, Trump stated on multiple occasions his commitment to making America's cities "very safe," adding a particular focus on Chicago, which he described as "a mess." The president's comments reflect ongoing concerns over crime in major American cities and an ambition to address what he perceives as failures of local governance.
In his order, Trump had previously pointed to a failure of the city government to successfully maintain public order as undermining federal interests and expressed his determination to resolve these issues swiftly.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump threatened the potential federalization of D.C. as part of his crime-related strategies. This threat materialized on August 11, when Trump declared a crime emergency in D.C., leading to an increase of federal oversight aimed at restoring public safety.
An attempted carjacking and assault incident on August 3 underscored the president’s concerns about crime levels in the capital. In response to these incidents, Trump signed an executive order, which criticized the D.C. city's leadership and underscored the perceived need for federal intervention.
The president's executive order asserted that "the city government's failure to maintain public order and safety has had a dire impact on the federal government's ability to operate efficiently to address the nation's broader interests without fear of our workers being subjected to rampant violence."
In addition to Chicago, Trump mentioned New York City as being on the radar for potential federal crime intervention. This suggestion aligns with Trump's broader remarks about making multiple cities across the nation safer.
"After we do this, we'll go to another location," he remarked, indicating plans to address crime challenges sequentially in various cities. Trump has assured citizens that these measures will not be hard to enforce and will contribute to overall public safety.
Throughout these developments, Trump praised the efforts of law enforcement, calling their work "fantastic." He took to Truth Social to declare that D.C. had become "safe again" and indicated his vision for the city to soon "be great again."
With D.C. experiencing a week free of homicides following the federal crackdown, President Trump remains focused on potentially replicating this success in other crime-affected regions. His remarks and actions underline his administration's strategy to address urban crime by increasing federal intervention and support for local law enforcement efforts. However, Trump's approach has garnered criticism from local officials who view his actions as overreach, with implications for federal and local government dynamics.
