Trump threatens to deploy National Guard in Baltimore
Photo: Trump plans new National Guard deployments (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump has threatened to send National Guard troops to Baltimore, Maryland's largest city. This is the latest stage in his confrontation with Democratic Governor Wes Moore, according to the BBC.
The conflict erupted after Moore invited the president to join the march for public safety.
In his post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that he was ready to send in troops following the example of Los Angeles and Washington to quickly end crime.
Democrats' reaction
Trump's comments have reignited the debate over his authority to deploy the National Guard in cities controlled by Democrats. The President has already deployed about 2,000 troops in Washington, and since August 24, National Guard troops there have been authorized to carry weapons at all times.
American media outlets report that another 1,700 troops could be mobilized in 19 states in the coming weeks.
Governor Moore responded harshly, saying that the president's comments sounded very hollow and profane. He added that Trump's supporters do not understand the lives of local communities.
Trump himself rejected the invitation to march in Baltimore, calling it disgusting and provocative.
New York, Chicago, and new plans
Trump made it clear that his intentions are not limited to Baltimore. New York and Chicago are also under threat of deployment. This drew criticism from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who called the president's actions an abuse of power.
The Democratic minority leader in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, also expressed his position. He stated that the President has no legal authority to send troops into large cities and accused Trump of trying to create a crisis, although the crime rate in Baltimore has fallen to its lowest level in 50 years.
Public opinion
A poll conducted by the Washington Post and Schar School showed that nearly 80% of Washington residents oppose the presence of the National Guard and the transfer of local police to federal control.
At the same time, the WP reports on the administration's plans to create a new rapid response unit to combat protests. It will be based on 600 National Guard troops stationed in Alabama and Arizona. According to the plan, they will be able to respond to riots in any US city in less than an hour.
Trump and his fight against crime
On August 11, Trump declared a public safety emergency in Washington, D.C. The head of state is calling on the National Guard to help restore law and order and has promised to clean up the capital's slums.
At the same time, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, pointed out that the city's police force has been showing a steady decline in crime for two years, long before Trump was re-elected president.
On the evening of August 21, Trump said he intended to join law enforcement and the military in patrolling the streets of Washington as part of a fight against crime campaign.
