Trump eyes The Big Easy for next National Guard troop deployment in swelling crime war
President Donald Trump floated the idea of sending the National Guard to New Orleans, Louisiana to help tackle crime in city, after the state's Republican governor endorsed the idea.
‘We’re going to be going to maybe Louisiana, and you have New Orleans, which has a crime problem. We’ll straighten that out in about two weeks. It’ll take us two weeks, easier than D.C.,’ the president told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
The president’s proposal immediately received an enthusiastic endorsement from Republican Governor Jeff Landry.
‘We will take President Trump’s help from New Orleans to Shreveport!’ he wrote on social media, sharing video of the president's remarks.
The president has repeatedly floated the idea of sending federal service members to some of America’s major cities to help tackle crime.
Trump continues to taunt Democratic mayors and governors with high crime in their cities with promises to help them if they would only just ask.
'I want to go into Chicago and they have this incompetent governor that doesn't want us,' Trump said referring to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, pointing out to the 72 people who were shot in Chicago and the eleven people who were killed.
Trump's proposal also earned support from House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
US President Donald Trump revealed his interest in sending federal service members to Louisiana
Police and officials survey an area in the French Quarter on Orleans Avenue near the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, Louisiana after a man drive a truck into a crowded street in January
'President Trump’s actions with the National Guard have brought violent crime in DC down to historically low levels. The citizens of New Orleans, and the millions of tourists who come here, deserve that same level of security,' he wrote on X.
Historically, New Orleans has had a high crime rate but recent data shows there is an ongoing downward trend in 2025, according to reports.
As of mid-2025, murders were down 26 percent year-to-date compared to 2024, with 53 reported in July. Non-fatal shootings decreased 13 percent, and carjackings fell 36 percent.
The president told reporters on Tuesday he would eventually send the National Guard to other major cities, even if local Democratic officials were opposed.
'We're going in,' Trump said. 'This isn't a political thing. I have an obligation.'
The president has ignored crime data showing that violent crime is already down in many major American cities compared to last year, singling out Chicago, Baltimore, and Los Angeles for criticism.
Aerial View of New Orleans, Louisiana
National Guard troops patrol near the White House as part of President Trump's crackdown on crime
'Chicago is a hellhole right now, Baltimore is a hellhole right now. Parts of Los Angeles are terrible,' he said.
Last month, Trump deployed 800 troops from around the country to help patrol D.C. and crack down on crime.
Violent crime in DC is down 39 percent from a year ago. Robberies are down 57 percent and motor vehicle theft is down 35 percent according to data released by the MPDC.
The president has celebrated the success of the operation as a model to help reduce crime.
'I'm very proud of Washington, it serves as a template,' Trump said on Tuesday. 'And we're going to do it elsewhere and Chicago is certainly going to be high [priority].'
