After sending troops to stop crime in Washington D.C., President Trump said that he might send troops to clean up crime in Baltimore next if needed.
Trump was responding to an Aug 21 letter from Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. Moore said: “If President Trump were to walk our streets, stand with our people, and visit our community, he would see what I see: 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚.”
If President Trump were to walk our streets, stand with our people, and visit our community, he would see what I see: 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚. pic.twitter.com/yipidTBTLK
— Governor Wes Moore (@GovWesMoore) August 21, 2025
The letter invited Trump to attend a safety walk in Baltimore in September. Baltimore is about 38 miles from Washington D.C.
Letter to President on Public Safety by scott.mcclallen
Crime in Baltimore has dropped over the last two years, according to the letter.
"Homicides in Maryland are down statewide by 20% since my inauguration two and a half years ago," the letter said. "In the first six months of 2025, the Baltimore Police Department continued to see double-digit reductions in gun violence, including a 22% decrease in homicides and a 19% decrease in non-fatal shootings from the year before. We are currently on track to have the lowest number of homicides in Baltimore City since we began officially keeping crime statistics."
Trump responded in a Sunday post on social media that troops could quickly clean up the city.
Trump said in part: "But if Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in L.A., I will send in the “troops,” which is being done in nearby DC, and quickly clean up the Crime. After only one week, there is NO CRIME AND NO MURDER IN DC! When it is like that in Baltimore, I will proudly “walk the streets” with the failing, because of Crime, Governor of Maryland. P.S. Baltimore is ranked the 4th WORST CITY IN THE NATION IN CRIME & MURDER. Stop talking and get to work, Wes. I’ll then see you on the streets!!!"
The news follows Trump federalizing Washington D.C., which has been accused of cooking its crime statistics. Trump cleared out the homeless encampments earlier this month and increased immigration enforcement in the District of Columbia.
As of last week, the crime crackdown has brought over 500 arrests in D.C., and the seizure of 76 illegal firearms, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on social media.
We have now made over 550 arrests in Washington, DC and have taken 76 illegal firearms off the streets—saving lives.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) August 20, 2025
You can help—@USMarshalsHQ is offering a reward for any information leading to an arrest. Together, we will make DC safe again! pic.twitter.com/8SucuPuhLz
On Friday, Trump said that he might use the National Guard to reduce crime in Chicago and New York.
“And after we do this, we'll go to another location, and we'll make it safe also,” he said. “We're going to make our country very safe. We're going to make our cities very, very safe. Chicago is a mess. You have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent, and we'll straighten that one out probably next. That'll be our next one after this.”
Vice President J.D. Vance echoed the same sentiment in a speech in Atlanta.
“You ought to be able to without being harrassed by a criminal," Vance said. "We’ve got to take Americas’ streets back for the American people, and that’s what the President of the United States is doing every single day.”
The Trump administration has targeted Blue cities including Chicago, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and New York for high crime rates.