US President Donald Trump on Monday defended his ongoing federal intervention in Washington, DC, claiming crime has dropped dramatically under his watch and signaling that Chicago could be the next target for a similar military-style deployment.Taking to Truth Social, Trump wrote, “The incompetent Mayor of Chicago just stated that, in DC, where crime has been brought down to almost nothing, there have been no murders in 9 days, something which hasn’t happened in years, and people are safe again, only nine people have been arrested. That is wrong, hundreds of criminals have been held, captured, and arrested, and their guns have been taken away. DC IS SAFE AND BOOMING!!!”
Chicago pushbackThe post came just days after Trump told reporters that Chicago’s Democratic mayor, Brandon Johnson, was “grossly incompetent” and that the city was “probably next” for a National Guard deployment. Johnson has strongly rejected the idea, calling it “uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound.”In an interview with NPR, Johnson said such a move would be “illegal and costly” and warned that it could “inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement.” He accused Trump of “testing how far his power can go with the attempt to undermine our democracy.”Crime trends tell a different storyWhile Trump has pointed to rising urban violence as justification for federal crackdowns, Chicago’s own data shows significant drops in key crime categories over the past year, including a more than 30% fall in homicides, 35% in robberies, and nearly 40% in shootings. City officials attribute the trend to local violence-intervention programs, even as federal funding for such efforts has recently been cut.DC under federal watchEarlier this month, Trump ordered hundreds of National Guard members into DC, framing it as a “federal takeover” to push back against “violent gangs” and homelessness. The move has drawn criticism from residents, activists, and civil rights groups, who argue that the deployments are more about political optics than lasting safety measures.For now, Trump continues to present Washington as a model for his broader law-and-order strategy – one that could soon extend to other major US cities despite growing opposition from local leaders.
