President Donald Trump is taking action to reduce crime in some of America’s most dangerous cities. Once again, Democrats are opposing him — on an issue that impacts millions of Americans.
Why would leaders of high-crime cities like Washington and Chicago resist efforts to make their streets safer? The answer may be fear: if Trump succeeds, it highlights their failures as leaders.
For decades, Democrats have faced accusations of being “soft on crime.” In 1994, attempting to counter that charge, President Bill Clinton signed the most extensive anti-crime legislation in U.S. history. The law funded the hiring of 100,000 new police officers, authorized new prisons, and introduced a “three-strikes” law imposing long sentences for repeat offenders.
That marked a peak for Democratic crime-fighting efforts. In recent years, party leaders, including former President Joe Biden, have apologized for the 1994 crime bill, which many now consider overly harsh and discriminatory. In the post-George Floyd era, Democrats have promoted policies such as defunding the police and no-bail reform, measures critics argue have made cities less safe and emboldened criminals.
President Trump is working to reverse that trend. He has threatened to send troops to violence-prone cities and recently signed an executive order to eliminate cashless bail — a policy that critics say releases criminals back onto the streets, often to offend again.
Just as in decades past, Democrats are resisting policies that most citizens support. In recent months, they have championed protections for criminals in the country illegally, protested deportation policies, and now oppose safer streets.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson reacted to speculation that Trump may deploy National Guard troops with an X post calling it “the most flagrant violation of our Constitution in the 21st Century.” He added: “The City of Chicago does not need a military occupation.”
The reality is different. Chicago, once a thriving city, now struggles with widespread violence. Over the Fourth of July weekend, at least 55 people were shot, 8 fatally. By mid-August, Chicago had recorded 254 homicides, compared with 201 in New York City, which has nearly three times the population.
During the 2023 mayoral race, polls showed that two-thirds of Chicago residents didn’t feel safe from crime. Crime and public safety ranked as the top issue for 44% of respondents, far above concerns about the economy and jobs at 12%.
High crime is part of why Johnson has the lowest approval rating of any U.S. mayor, at 26%. Despite welcoming illegal immigrants and resisting sanctuary city bans, he remains unpopular with Hispanics (26% approval) and African Americans (38%). The Chicago Crime Lab reports that Black residents are 22 times more likely to be killed than white residents, and neighborhoods with the highest homicide rates suffer 68 times more murders than those with the lowest.
Johnson downplays concerns, telling NPR that sending the National Guard would be “not Democratic, illegal, and costly” and claiming it would not reduce crime. While violent offenses have declined slightly in Chicago, the trend is part of a broader nationwide drop post-pandemic, and cities like Washington, Chicago, and Baltimore remain unsafe.
Deploying federal troops has proven effective elsewhere. In March 2024, New York Governor Kathy Hochul sent 750 National Guardsmen to subway stations to curb deadly assaults. Subway crime decreased, and residents reported feeling safer.
Yet Hochul criticized President Trump’s initial deployment of 800 troops to D.C., framing it as an abuse of power, despite similar objectives.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser initially supported the federal surge, saying, “What I’m focused on is the federal surge and how to make the most of the federal officers that we have.” But political pressures shifted her stance, urging residents to “make sure we elect a Democratic House so that we have a backstop to this authoritarian push.” Meanwhile, crime in the District has declined.
President Trump is betting that residents in cities plagued by violence and theft will welcome his crime-fighting measures — and evidence suggests he may be right. Democrats, once again, appear to be on the wrong side of public safety.
