Members of the National Guard walk past the Department of Agriculture headquarters building on October 7 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
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Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump threatened this week to send more troops – and not just the National Guard – to US cities as part of what he calls his national fight against crime.
Speaking to US troops aboard an aircraft carrier in Japan, Trump said he plans to expand his crime and immigration campaign because “we have cities that are in trouble.”
“We are sending our National Guard, and if we need more than the National Guard, we will send more than the National Guard because we will have safe cities,” Trump said aboard the USS George Washington at Yokosuka Naval Base. “We are not going to allow people to be killed in our cities. And whether people like it or not, this is what we do.”
The White House has turned what began as a targeted effort supposedly aimed at fighting crime in Washington into a nationwide campaign to portray Trump and Republicans as shameless crime fighters and Democrats as crime promoters. Before the Guard arrived, the city's violent crime rate was at a 30-year low.
Trump also sent troops to Los Angeles, Chicago, Memphis, Tennessee, and Portland, Oregon, sparking protests and lawsuits.
Democratic leaders accused the White House of exaggerating problems in order to begin an illegal military occupation. But Trump is counting on moves that will help him and Republicans in next year's midterm elections.
At a Cabinet meeting in August, Trump described crime as a bigger issue for Republicans than transgender athletes in high school sports and perhaps even immigration.
“Crime is probably the issue he does best on, certainly better than fighting inflation or trade or even foreign relations, despite some of the successes he's had lately,” said John McHenry, a Republican pollster at North Star Opinion Research.
The political data points to a clear opportunity for Trump and the Republicans.
Although FBI data shows violent crime fell 4.5 percent last year, a new Gallup poll released Thursday shows Nearly half of Americans—49 percent—believe crime has increased compared to last year, while about a third—or 33 percent—believe crime has decreased.
The Gallup poll also found some political risks for Trump. More Americans oppose using federal troops to fight domestic crime than support the move, but the split is largely along political lines, with Republicans overwhelmingly supporting the use of troops while Democrats oppose it.
Crime shouldn't be viewed through a partisan lens, but Trump has touched on one of the most basic quality of life issues, said Jillian Snyder, a member of the Criminal Justice Council and a retired NYPD officer.
She said most people don't look online to see if crime rates are going up or down. Instead they walk down the street.
“The real problem is that everyday members of the community don't care much about being taught what the statistics show us,” said Snyder, who also teaches at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “They just care about how they feel in their communities.”
Republicans have long leaned toward law and order, but veteran political strategist Alex Conant says Trump is approaching the issue in an unprecedented way when you look at troops in cities.
“He told his base that he was going to take control of crime in American cities. And now, when you turn on the TV at night, American troops are trying to do just that,” Conant said. “Now, obviously, there's going to be a lot of opposition to this, especially among Democrats, people who live in some of these areas. But this is what he told his constituents he would do, and now he is delivering on it. And he's proud of it.”
