Oakland mayor slams suggestion Trump might send troops as ‘fearmongering’

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee has publicly opposed President Donald Trump’s suggestion to deploy the National Guard to the city, following his comments about crime being “out of control.”

During a news conference at City Hall, Mayor Lee criticized the president’s remarks, which included Oakland among cities he claimed were “so far gone” due to crime. She described his statements as “fearmongering” and emphasized that Oakland is making “real progress on public safety.”

Mayor Lee responded to President Trump’s comments about crime in Oakland by stating, “We’re not gonna back down.”

Mayor Lee highlighted a 29% drop in violent crime in Oakland from January to June, according to data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association. She acknowledged that while more work is needed, the city is actively addressing public safety concerns.

In addition to opposing the deployment of the National Guard, Mayor Lee reiterated Oakland’s status as a sanctuary city, affirming her support for the immigrant community. She suggested that the president’s focus on cities with large Black and brown populations, many led by Black mayors, was politically motivated.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.