In a combative press conference at the White House this morning, President Donald Trump warned that he would move to “federalize” the cities of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago if local leaders do not take immediate and drastic action to address rising crime and homelessness.
Standing at the podium flanked by Attorney General Mark Calabrese and Homeland Security Secretary Linda Hastings, Trump said his administration was already in the process of “federalizing” Washington, D.C., a move he claims will bypass “failed local leadership” and place the capital’s public safety operations under direct federal control.
Guardsmen would be deployed “to help reestablish Law Order of public safety,” Trump said, adding “This is Liberation Day in DC, and we’re going to take our capital back.”
“If they can’t clean up their own streets, we’ll do it for them,” Trump declared. “New York, L.A., Chicago — you’re on notice. The filth, the tents, the drugs, the criminals — it’s going to stop, one way or another.”
(Editor’s note: Crime is actually down in D.C. this year.)
The president did not offer specifics on what “federalizing” the three major cities would entail, but hinted at deploying large numbers of federal agents and using emergency executive authority to take over certain local government functions. Critics immediately raised constitutional concerns, noting that such moves could spark legal challenges over states’ rights and municipal autonomy.
New York Mayor Alicia Fernandez responded within hours, calling Trump’s comments “an authoritarian stunt meant to distract from his failures in other areas.” Los Angeles Mayor David Han said the city “will not be bullied into surrendering local governance.” At the same time, Chicago Mayor Robert Fields accused the president of “political theater” ahead of the midterm elections.
Civil liberties groups warned that federalization could erode local democracy. “The president is threatening to sidestep both state authority and the will of local voters,” said Marcia Grant, director of the National Legal Defense Coalition. “This isn’t just about crime — it’s about power.”
Trump, however, insisted that Americans are “tired of living in fear” and accused the targeted cities of tolerating “lawlessness and urban decay.” He praised what he described as the “success” of his moves in Washington, D.C., though independent data on crime trends since the intervention has yet to be released.
Legal scholars note that while the president can deploy federal law enforcement in limited capacities, fully federalizing a city outside the unique jurisdiction of Washington, D.C., would be unprecedented in modern American history — and could ignite a political and legal firestorm.
“We’ll see what happens,” Trump said, smiling as reporters shouted follow-up questions. “But one thing’s for sure: the days of chaos in our cities are over.”