Trump floats New Orleans as next for federal crime crackdown

(The Hill) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday floated New Orleans as the next city that could be set for a federal crime crackdown, leaning toward a Republican-controlled state as a target.

“We’re making a determination now — do we go to Chicago, or do we go to a place like New Orleans where we have a great governor, Jeff Landry, who wants us to come in and straighten out a very nice section of this country that’s become quite tough, quite bad,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

The president, while taking questions beside Polish President Karol Nawrocki, said federal law enforcement can curb crime in New Orleans faster than they have in Washington, D.C., where troops were sent weeks ago.

“So we’re going to maybe Louisiana, and you have New Orleans, which has a crime problem. We’ll straighten that out in about two weeks, it will take us two weeks. Easier than D.C.,” Trump said.

The president has targeted Democratic-run cities, like Washington, Chicago, and Los Angeles, as part of his crime crackdown. He has called on governors to ask for his help, which Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) has said he won’t do.

In Washington, Trump’s decision to send the National Guard is protected under the city’s unique Home Rule that gives the president the authority to make the move without local approval.

Trump on Wednesday again called on Chicago local leaders to ask for help on crime, saying residents want assistance.

“But we can straighten out Chicago, all they have to do is ask us. To go into Chicago, if we don’t have the support of some of these politicians— but I’ll tell you who is supporting us, the people of Chicago, and I sort of want them to let it be known, they have incompetent [politicians],” the president said.

New Orleans has a Democratic mayor, but the state has a Republican governor in Landry.

The president touted his work in D.C., calling it a “totally safe city” and arguing that crime is down 100 percent. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) called out Louisiana’s crime rate last week, arguing it is less than the crime rate in his state. When asked about Newsom’s comments, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Fox News, “Gavin Newsom will do anything for attention. He can name drop me all he wants, he needs to do and government in his state and not be engaging in all of this.”