Democrats: Too tough on Trump, too soft on crime

A recent AP-NORC poll revealed that 68% of Americans still consider crime a serious problem in big cities (even if crime figures show a downward trend).

President Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail to take on crime and make "America safe again." Washington, D.C., Chicago, Baltimore and Los Angeles, are some of the cities plagued by criminals and criminal groups.

The facts about Washington, D.C.

Trump decided to start with Washington, D.C., and in August 2025, announced the federalization of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) as well as the deployment of the National Guard (about 2,000 troops) as part of a criminal emergency to combat "violent gangs."

This move sparked an uproar among Democrats who called it unnecessary, unconstitutional and dangerous to civilian safeguards. Hillary Clinton called the president "unhinged" on X and House Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Trump of acting like "a wannabe kingmaker" who "breaks the law and violates the Constitution" to consolidate his power.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser repeated the same argument on MSNBC. She expressed concerns about the effectiveness and civil rights of the intervention (despite her statements, she cooperated with the Trump Administration during the emergency period):

"While the data shows a decrease in crime, we must address the underlying causes and protect the civil liberties of our residents."

The figures show that despite criticism, Trump's deployment was successful. The Washington DC Police Union published crime statistics after the measure was implemented. Through a post on its X account, the union specified that vehicle theft dropped by 83%, violent crimes by 22% and common robberies by 46%. In addition, crimes against property saw a 6% decrease, while crime in general dropped by 8%.

Likewise, some media outlets also did their own analysis of the data. For example, CBS News revealed that between Aug. 7 and Aug. 25, violent crime in D.C. fell nearly 50% compared to the same period in 2024. In addition, robberies were down 48% and vehicle thefts were down 36%.

Mayor Bowser ended up recognizing the results, praising the coordination between the National Guard and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD):

"We greatly appreciate the reinforcement of officers that expands what MPD has been able to do in this city...auto thefts were reduced by 87% compared to the same period in 2024."

Next step: Chicago

Trump assured that after D.C. he would deploy troops to another crime-stricken city and his sight is set on Chicago. The confrontation between the president and the city's Democratic leaders was not long in coming. Some posts by the president on Truth Social joked about the possible deployment of troops to the Windy City, with a post titled "Chipocalypse Now," referring to the movie Apocalypse Now.

In other posts he commented, "I have an obligation," he said, citing crime statistics for Chicago, the third-largest city in the U.S. "This is not a political issue. I have an obligation when 20 people have been murdered in the last two and a half weeks and 75 have been shot. Chicago is a hellhole right now. Baltimore is a hellhole right now," Trump declared.

The governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, responded with outrage, calling the publication a threat to "declare war on an American city" and accusing Trump of behaving like a "dictator."

Mayor Brandon Johnson concurred, asserting that the president seeks to "occupy our city and violate our Constitution" and called on the citizenry to "defend our democracy from this authoritarianism." Former mayor Lori Lightfoot denounced that Trump "makes up his own data" on crime to justify intervention.

Although local Democratic officials highlight year-to-date declines of more than 30% in homicides, Trump has pointed to periods of high violence, such as the Labor Day weekend, when at least 54 people were shot and seven died in separate incidents.

The mayor and governor signed local measures to block any deployment of the National Guard, calling it "unnecessary and reckless." In addition, to sue the Trump Administration if it orders troops in without consent.

Immigration operation in Chicago

What did take place in Chicago was Operation Midway Blitz in which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched the operation coordinated by ICE, to arrest illegal immigrants with criminal records in the city. This operation does not include the cooperation of local authorities, since the city is a sanctuary city.

DHS explained that the operation focuses on criminal aliens who have entered the city due to local protection policies. The targets include Pedro Gonzalez, a member of the Tren de Aragua gang, and Abdul Al Kaby, with convictions for assault and murder.

Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem back the initiative, while Johnson and Pritzker insist they will not cooperate with federal action.

Baltimore, New Orleans, Los Angeles ... and Memphis

Troops were also deployed to Los Angeles in June but with the motive of assisting in riots against immigration crackdowns. Now, two judges ruled against President Trump for sending in the National Guard. Justice Charles Breyer, a Clinton appointee and younger brother of former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration violated federal law by sending troops to accompany federal agents on immigration raids in Los Angeles, reported The Associated Press.

President Trump also used his Truth Social account to announce his intention to send troops to Baltimore with the goal of "quickly cleaning up crime," replicating the strategy applied in Washington, D.C.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore responded by calling the statements "insensitive" and defending local efforts: "We need leaders who are there helping the people who are actually on the ground." Mayor Brandon Scott reported that homicides in Baltimore are down 24% and nonfatal shootings are down 18% from the same period in 2024, although Trump believes the city remains dangerous.

New Orleans is the next city under the spotlight. Trump has already announced that he will send the National Guard to the city, assuring that in two weeks the city will be "much safer."

"We're going to go in, we're going to clean it up ... and then we're going to go to other places around the country, we're going to reduce crime, because we can't have unsafe cities," he said during an event in the White House Rose Garden. Trump noted that Governor Jeff Landry (Louisiana) has supported the initiative and that the city, like D.C. and Chicago, has a Democratic mayor's office.

Poll: majority backs Trump

Far from what Democrats suggest, public opinion backs the president. A Harvard Caps/Harris poll (Aug. 20-21, sample of 2,025 voters, margin of error ±2.2%) found that 54% of Americans approve of Trump's measures in D.C., compared with 46% who disapprove.

The poll reflects partisan polarization:

- 85% of Republicans see the intervention as "justified and necessary."

- 72% of Democrats see it as "unjustified and unnecessary."

- Among independents, opinions are more balanced: 47% in favor and 53% opposed.

Mark Penn, co-director of the Harvard Caps/Harris poll, noted, "It is clear that Trump is shifting from immigration to crime as a primary focus and his efforts are receiving strong Republican and independent support."