D.C. – The verbal fighting between President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders about violence in cities has gotten worse, and Trump is now focusing on Baltimore. The President said on his Truth Social platform on Sunday that he would “send in the troops” to the city. This was in response to an offer from Maryland Governor Wes Moore for a joint public safety walk.
Moore, who often criticizes Trump’s use of federal power, asked the President to come to his state to “talk about public safety and walk the streets.” Trump termed Moore’s tone “nasty and provocative” in his reaction and said that Moore had a “very bad” record on crime, which is not true according to current data from the city. Trump wrote, “But if Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in L.A., I will send in the troops, which is being done in nearby DC, and quickly clean up the Crime.”
This threat to Baltimore adds to the list of cities that Trump has targeted that are run by Democrats. He has already sent federal law enforcement and National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., and before that, to Los Angeles, even though local politicians didn’t want them there. The Pentagon is also said to be getting ready for a possible operation in Chicago that would involve National Guard troops.
The President has said that crime in Baltimore is out of control, but official statistics shows a different story. The Associated Press says that Baltimore’s violent crime rate has been going down since it spiked during the outbreak. In 2024, there were 24% fewer homicides than the year before and 42% fewer than in 2021. Between 2023 and 2024, violent crime went reduced by almost 8% and property crime went down by 20%.
Governor Moore went on CBS’s “Face the Nation” to respond to Trump’s statement. He said he had invited the President because “he seems to enjoy living in this blissful ignorance” about the crime rates getting better. “The president is always talking about me. Moore said, “I’m spending my time talking about the people I serve.”
Residents and local leaders in Washington, D.C. have criticized the deployment of federal troops, saying that there have been tense confrontations and arrests. Videos of people being detained have been shared on social media, and many who live there have said they feel uneasy since there are so many soldiers in normally calm regions. The crisis in D.C. and the new danger to Baltimore show that the Trump administration’s “law and order” narrative is getting stronger. This has been a big part of his presidency.