“We’re going to New Orleans to make it truly safe. Right now, the city has some troubling issues, particularly violent crime, with several murders recently reported. We’re not going to let that continue. We’ll be there, and we’ll take care of it,” Trump said on September 5, confirming his decision to send in the Guard. He promised that New Orleans—a vibrant city of nearly 400,000 residents—would be “safe” within two weeks, pointing to reduced crime in Washington, D.C. after federal forces were deployed there.
“It’s going to be the safest place. After that, we’ll move on to other cities across the country. We will bring crime down—we cannot allow our cities to fall into chaos,” Trump declared. He also confirmed that New Orleans’ police force would be placed under direct federal control. Trump praised Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, calling him a “tremendous leader” who supports federal assistance to improve security. Landry is a Republican.
On September 3, Trump had said he was weighing whether to deploy the Guard to New Orleans or Chicago. However, sending forces to Chicago may prove more difficult, as the city falls under the jurisdiction of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, who has strongly criticized Trump’s plans to send troops into American cities.