Louisiana AG welcomes support after report of proposed Pentagon plan to deploy troops

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill voiced her support after the Washington Post reported the Pentagon could deploy National Guard troops to the state.

“We welcome the support and I am happy to work with State and federal law enforcement to ensure we can see these cases through and make our communities safer. It is important that we look not only at making arrests for unlawful conduct, but ensuring there is accountability through prosecution of cases,” Murrill said.

President Donald Trump has suggested sending troops to Louisiana, specifically naming New Orleans, a blue city in a red state, throughout September, early in the month in the Oval Office, and during a Fox News appearance on Sept. 12. Trump said it would take two weeks, “easier than D.C.,” to address crime in New Orleans.

Gov. Jeff Landry responded to Trump, writing on X on Sept. 3, “We will take President @realDonaldTrump’s help from New Orleans to Shreveport!”

Democrat Louisiana U.S. Rep. Troy Carter said the Washington Post’s report on a draft proposal to activate 1,000 troops to police New Orleans is “deeply troubling.” He added that no formal request has been made, as of the release of his Saturday statement.

“The facts matter: New Orleans is experiencing the lowest crime rates in decades, with homicides and overall crime trending downward. There is no ’emergency’ that justifies militarizing our city streets,” Carter said.

He said Trump should focus on other solutions to reduce crime, like investing in local police officers, providing resources to the district attorney’s office and reviving community policing initiatives used in the 1990s.

“Our National Guard must remain ready for genuine emergencies, like hurricanes and natural disasters—not diverted into political experiments in law enforcement,” Carter said. “Louisiana deserves resources, respect, and genuine partnership, not militarization.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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