President Donald Trump on Tuesday told reporters he believes crime will be a central issue in the 2026 midterm elections, a theme he has emphasized in recent days to build support for his controversial push to “federalize” Washington, D.C.
Speaking at a Cabinet meeting in the White House, Trump was asked about his proposal to invoke the D.C. Home Rule Act to deploy hundreds of D.C. National Guard troops throughout the city — a strategy he has suggested could be used in other Democrat-led cities, including Chicago.
“I think crime is going to be the big thing,” Trump said, referring to the upcoming midterms. He added, in a statement that was both blunt and lacking in detail, “The Republicans are the party that wants to stop crime. We’re against crime.”
“The Democrats like crime,” Trump continued, offering no further clarification.
Trump’s remarks appear to target Chicago and other Democrat-led U.S. cities where he has recently threatened to deploy the National Guard to “clean up” crime. Whether he has the legal authority to do so remains uncertain, and experts warn the move could spark a series of legal challenges.
“It’s hard to believe what’s been accomplished in 12 days,” Trump told reporters regarding his federalization efforts in D.C.
He also shifted to other topics he suggested Democrats handle poorly, including border security, rights for transgender individuals, and policies regarding “men playing women’s sports,” citing specific sports examples.
Trump’s comments come as he continues defending his federalization of D.C., which began 12 days ago and involved temporarily assuming control of the city’s police operations and deploying National Guard troops across the capital.
The president highlighted what he described as the success of the operation, saying, “If I were a Democrat — governor or mayor or anybody — I’d call up President Trump and say, ‘President Trump, we need your help. We saw what you’ve done in D.C. in a period of 12 days.'”
“This is 12 days. We haven’t even started. This is going to be so safe. It’ll be the safest place on Earth,” he added.
