Trump threatens to deploy troops to Baltimore to 'clean up' crime

August 24, 2025

President Donald Trump has threatened to deploy troops to Baltimore amid an escalating dispute with Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who invited Trump to join a "safety walk" in the city. This confrontation is part of Trump's broader initiative to send National Guard troops to Democratic-led cities as a crime-fighting measure, which has already resulted in approximately 2,000 troops in Washington DC. Democratic leaders have strongly criticized this approach, with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker calling it an "abuse of power" and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries questioning Trump's legal authority for such deployments.

Who is affected

Baltimore residents
Washington DC residents (where troops are already deployed)
Residents of 19 states where troops are expected to mobilize
Maryland Governor Wes Moore
Democratic-led cities targeted for potential troop deployment
Citizens in New York and Chicago (cities mentioned for potential deployment)

What action is being taken

Trump is deploying approximately 2,000 National Guard troops to Washington DC
National Guard members in Washington DC have started carrying weapons (previously kept in armories)
Up to 1,700 troops are being mobilized across 19 states
The White House reports hundreds of arrests have been made since operations began in Washington DC

Why it matters

The deployment of military personnel for domestic law enforcement represents a significant escalation in federal intervention in local policing
A Washington Post poll shows nearly 80% of DC residents oppose both the National Guard deployment and federal takeover of local police
The initiative occurs despite data showing violent crime in Washington DC had already reached its lowest level in 30 years and continues to decline
The situation highlights growing tensions between federal and state/local authorities regarding crime control approaches
Democratic leaders view the deployments as potentially unlawful and an overreach of presidential authority

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC