Former CNN anchor Don Lemon spoke to people in a Baltimore neighborhood on Friday, and many said they hoped President Donald Trump would send troops to “straighten everything out.”
When Trump announced plans to send National Guard troops and take oversight of the Metropolitan Police Department, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser was initially concerned.
But she admitted at a press conference last week that the federal presence has already had a big impact on one of America’s most dangerous cities, including an 87% drop in carjackings.
Now, leaders and residents in other cities are wondering if Trump will send troops to fight crime in their neighborhoods too. Lemon conducted a man-on-the-street interview in Baltimore, asking residents if they wanted troops in their area.
One older woman told Lemon, “I have been a resident of Maryland all my life, so I think it would help some.” She said her husband was murdered in a carjacking outside their house and that the perpetrator is still unknown. “I want justice,” she added.
Lemon asked if she would like to see troops and the National Guard, and she answered, “Yes.”
“It’s getting out of hand, man,” said another resident, a male Trump supporter. “All these killings all the time. You know, the murder rate’s going higher and higher and all the drugs.”
Lemon noted that government programs haven’t solved the root causes of crime in the area.
“Send the troops to straighten everything out, you know what I mean? And then, like, make Baltimore great again,” he said. “Rebuild it back how it was a long time ago.”
A man dressed for Friday Jummah prayers said he thought troops on the streets might help.
“I’m not opposed to it,” he said. “I think it’ll be a good idea. Maybe we can clean up some of these crime-ridden neighborhoods.”
He called local crime “atrocious” and said the change could be “a breath of fresh air.”
Trump has also said he wants to fight crime in Baltimore.
“Chicago is a hellhole right now. Baltimore is a hellhole right now,” Trump said at a recent press conference. “We have a right to do it because I have an obligation to do it to protect this country, and that includes Baltimore.”
